Last night (4th December) I saw Regina Spektor play at the HMV Apollo in Hammersmith. I’ve never been to the Apollo, and it was a very nice Art Deco building, but it is falling apart in some places which is a shame.

The support act was Jenny Owen Youngs, and I’d only heard two of songs on Spotify. She was armed with just a guitar and her strange lyrics and played some enjoyable songs. She is coffee shop music, meaning that she is very talented, but she’s more background music. Jenny Owen Youngs did ramble a bit between songs which was amusing.

I’ve been listening to Regina Spektor since 2004 when Soviet Kitsch was released, and since then I have always wanted to see her perform live, and I’m so glad that I did. She was absolutely brilliant! She sounded exactly like on her albums, such a powerful voice and a huge mouth that could have swallowed the microphone!

She played the first half on the grand piano with a drummer and a quartet composing of two cellist, a violinist and a violist (she looked a bit like Fiona Bruce!) who were all excellent.

She played 26 songs, and these are some that I can remember/find:

1. The Calculation
2. Eet
3. Folding Chair
4. Ode to Divorce
5. Machine
6. Laughing With
7. Two Birds
8. One More Time With  A Feeling
9. Blue Lips
10. Human of the Year
11. The Wallet
12. Man of a Thousand Faces
13. Dance Anthem of the 80’s (On the keyboard)
14. The Sword and the Pen
15. Fidelity
16. On the Radio
17. Samson
18. Hotel Song
19. That Time
20. Us
21. Apres Moi
22. Sailor Song
23. Bobbing for Apples
24. Silly Eye Colour Generalizations
25. The Call
26. Love, You’re Whore

She spent the first half playing with the quartet, which the majority of songs from her new album Far.

The second half was on the piano, on the keyboard, her signature blue guitar and just aceppella.

Songs that stood out for me:

• That Time – Such a upbeat twangy song. “So sweet and JUICY!”
• Silly Eye Colour Generalizations – A new solo song that had the crowd laughing at the lyrics.
• Dance Anthem of the 80’s – Got everyone bobbing about.
• Love, You’re Whore – She closed the show with this song, and I’d never heard it before. It was very country, and I LOVED IT! People were doing a hoedown. Fantastic end to a fantastic show!

(Sorry for the random black dome that might appear at the bottom of the video, it is some guy’s head, I did try not to get it in.)

Folding Chair:

The Call

Sailor Song

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/8003105}

An amazing night last night honestly regina spektor is amazing i had the chance to see her and i am so glad that i choose wisely i cannot get over how amazing a gig that it actually was

the support a per usual i fell in love with Jenny Owen Youngs such an amazing artist, she has such angst and her voice is so strong i cannot say anything bad about her i really enjoyed her and would have loved to have heard more from her

regina words cannot express how gratefull i am that i seen her every song that was played the crowd loved and i could tell that she loved the crowd, even when she was hit in the face with a tshirt, and Glasgow and it’s ineffable charm began booing whoever threw it, and much to everyones surprise regina was fine with it she knew it was an accident. she carried on and the crowd loved her for it.

i cant remember anything other than that it was that incredible =]

Company was not to shabby either =]

so grateful for that ticket honestly =]

day off tomorrow and i now have a tumblr =]
killerparties.tumblr.com

If you want to find me really just google me

It’s time for my list. I will be working on it, because there are still some things(latest Swell Season, Devendra Banhart, Julie Doiron etc.) that I have to hear. Recommendations are very welcome! Also, some albums might have scored higher/lower than I reviewed them, simply because I listen to them so much. I’m gonna try to review them all. Anyway, some of my favourites:

Dan Mangan – Nice, Nice, Very Nice [9.5/10] [review]
I think this is my favourite album from this year. Cute, teddy-bear-ish-looking singer-songwriter from Canada. He makes you feel loved inside. Good, strong and dynamic songs, nice vocals, very good instrumental work, wonderful lyrics. The best indie pop album from this year. It’s unbelievable that he’s just 26(25?) (date-material! haha!). Dan’s a keeper and you should keep your eye on him! 

Andrew Bird – Noble Beast/Useless Creatures [9.5/10]

Again, a masterpiece made by Andrew Bird. It’s balanced, beautiful and unique. It’s pop, folk, it’s wonderful. I only miss the electric guitar a bit. Still, great lyrics, interesting, wonderful compositions and vocally pretty strong. Useless Creatures is the best instrumental CD I’ve ever heard, might have even listened more to that one than to Noble Beast. Simply beautiful. 

St. Vincent – Actor [9/10] [review]
Annie Clark manages to float above her instrumental chaos. Or at least, it looks like that. Her compositions are actually well made. Vocally, Clark is really strong. It’s a pretty unique CD that you’ll love or you’ll hate. I love it. (read the review I did) 

Jesca Hoop – Hunting My Dress [8.8/10]
To me, she’s live even stronger. Hoop mixes various styles and makes them her own. Great guitar work, great vocals. It might sound weird during your first listen, but it will grow. Especially ‘Murder of Birds’ is a wonderful track.

 
A.A. Bondy – When The Devil’s Loose[review]
I know I didn’t give A.A. Bondy such a high mark in my review. But the album did really grow on me. One of the best folk albums made this year. I listen to it a lot lately, so points for that! 
 

The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You [8/10]
This album is really a ‘grower’, after a while you like it more and more. The Avett Brothers sound really ‘natural’. It might not really be my genre of music, but I love this album. Titletrack ‘I and Love and You’ is a rare song, it’s extremely beautiful. You might have to get used to the(ir) voice(s), but it’s worth it. Overall a very nice album.

The Whitest Boy Alive – Rules[7.5/10]
Simple funky and happy. Don’t expect any musical obscurity from these guys. Erlend Øye got a great voice, some great lyrics and made some great music on this album. Strong bass lines, percussion and light guitar work. But after a while, it get’s a bit repetitive. Still a very nice album, best song to me is ‘1517′. 

Laura Gibson – Beasts of Seasons[7.5/10]
Dreamy folk songs. Gibson got a great voice. This album stands out for it’s simplicety. Her songs are pretty vocally driven, with often some light guitar work underneath it. But also you hear some piano notes every now and then. The perfect album for a sunny autumn day. 

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest[7/10]
Pretty interesting album, on moments to difficult for me to understand maybe. There are some ‘killer-tracks’ on it, but overall it’s just a pretty solid, nice, album that isn’t really my cup of tea at moments 

Regina Spektor – Far [7/10]
Not as strong as ‘Begin to Hope’, but again a very good album. Spektor goes from weird classical stuff to pop, not being afraid of sounding ’silly’. Vocally strong, but you have to love her voice. No complains about her instrumental stuff, but it’s not really ‘new’. (Best tracks of the album are ‘Laughing With’ and ‘Folding Chair’, these are perfect songs)

Wilco - Wilco(the album) [7/10]
Wilco delivered another good album. Still, it can’t beat Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it’s a good try. It’s again the typical Wilco sound(that isn’t really my sound). But it’s a strong, balanced album. 

Franz Ferdinand – Tonight[6.5/10]
Surprising new album from Franz Ferdinand. They changed their sound a bit, having more electronics in it. It’s still not difficult to dance on. They didn’t lose their Franz sound. Points for that. 

Albums that I didn’t like that much, but were pretty great anyway:
Soap&Skin – Lovetune for Vacuum
It’s too dark and obscure for me. It feels pretty creepy. But still, pretty good. (yeah, I don’t know much more to say about this one)

Zee Avi – Zee Avi
Too light and too bubbly for me. Pretty good debut album from this singer-songwriter. She mixes light, bubbly pop with a bit of jazz. Think Jack Johnson if he was a girl and used a ukulele more.

Portugal. The Man – The Satanic Satanist
Good album, but I think it’s too ‘heavy’ for me. Though, I do like the poppy ‘Work All Day’, ‘People Say’ and ‘The Sun’. Recommended for everyone who’s ears can handle more noise than mine.

Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels [review]
A more upbeat album from Tony Dekker and company. It does work out, but I like their slow, acoustic stuff more. Still a great album if you like them and do like songs such as ‘Your Rocky Spine’.

M. Ward – Hold Time
For all M. Ward lovers: Hold Time is a typical M. Ward album. His strongest point is his voice, and he uses is good. To me, M. Ward is a bit boring, there’s not much happening in his music. But that’s the only critic I can think of, so I guess it’s a nice album.

Alexi Murdoch – Time Without Consequence
The album kicks of great. I first thought that this would be a great album. But in the end, the songs are too long. Because of that, this album will sound repetive. Bad, it could have been much better.

Regina Spektor performed ‘Eet’ on Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show last friday. The song is from her latest album ‘Far’. Watch the video below!

Regina is currently visiting Europe for some shows.

******************************************

The Do, un groupe que l’on doit découvrir tout de suite.

Un groupe franco-finlandais dont le premier album est sorti en janvier 2008 et dont les mélodies Folk/Rock et Indie/Rock sont à jour.

Le groupe sait fait connaître à grande échelle par la pub des cahiers Oxford en décembre 2008. Il y a donc déjà un an que le groupe vend des albums et que leur son se fait entendre ici en Amérique, mais il n’y a pourtant pas assez de gens qui connaissent le groupe et c’est pour cela que j’en parle cette semaine.

Selon Wiki : «The Dø est un groupe de musique pop formé par le duo Olivia Bouyssou Merilahti (chanteuse franco-finlandaise) et Dan Levy (musicien et compositeur de musique de film).

Le nom du groupe est formé des initiales des prénoms de ses deux membres, mais renvoie aussi à la note do. Il est écrit avec un o barré et parfois (comme sur la pochette de leur album, sur leurs tee-shirts etc.) avec une note de musique, une noire, en guise de « D ». Le o barré peut laisser penser aussi à l’origine de la chanteuse, mais à tort, car cette lettre n’existe pas en finnois.»

Les chansons ne sont pas surchargées de bruits, de distorsions ou de textures, elles sont très bien construites et efficaces. Elles sont à la fois paisibles et sereines, mais assez rock pour ne pas être pop (au sens de la pop américaine). Un bon rock plaisant.

The Do s’écoute aussi bien que Regina Spektor (ses chansons plus accessible ou pop) et que Charlie Winston (mentionné dans l‘article sur les groupes pour cet automne).

Artiste à connaître immédiatement. Les show sont absolument extraordinaires! On voit que ce sont de véritables artistes et musiciens. Ils savent suivre la foule et manipuler leurs chansons afin de donner aux spectateurs quelque chose de nouveau.

On aime énormément sur scène et dans les écouteurs!

Rodeo events

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I’ve only recently (ie in the last 36 hours) gotten into Regina Spektor’s music. Not that I hadn’t heard (and loved) some of her stuff before, but I’m getting more into it now.

Here is Samson by Regina Spektor.

I am a music lover. While I have not been especially blessed musically as far as talent goes- I have a huge passion for it. Lyrics are a part of a song that really make a big impact on me. I’ve had experiences where I cannot stand a song- until I’ve paid some attention to the lyrics- and then had my mind changed completely [for example the song Paralyzer by Finger Eleven.. the lyrics in question: "Well I’m not paralyzed/But, I seem to be struck by you/I want to make you move/Because you’re standing still/If your body matches/What your eyes can do/You’ll probably move right through/Me on my way to you"]

Don’t get me wrong, the way a song sounds is vitally important as well… songs are indeed a package deal. But for a comparative study, I’m just going to focus on lyrics. 

I am a huge Beatles fan, and a huge admirer of their song’s lyrics. So I have decided to take a look at some of the songs that topped the charts back in the year 1967, while they were consistently topping the charts, and compare those songs to the songs dwelling on the top of the charts today in an attempt to see if there is any difference in the quality of music that is ‘popular’ and being produced now. Here is a link to the website I found to help me out in finding top songs of the year 1967: http://tsort.info/music/yr1967.htm

And for the top 100 as of today (10/20/09): 

http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100#/charts/hot-100?begin=1&order=position

And now without further ado, I present to you

Lyrics: A Comparative Study

*I would like to mention quickly that I made these selections for the most part randomly.

1967 #1: A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum

“If music be the food of love/Then laughter is its queen/And likewise if behind is in front/Then dirt in truth is clean/My mouth by then like cardboard/Seemed to slip straight through my head/So we crash-dived straightway quickly/And attacked the ocean bed”

Today #1: 3 by Britney Spears

“Babe, pick a night/To come out and play/If it’s alright/What do you say?/Merrier the more/Triple fun that way/Twister on the floor/What do you say?/Are – you in/Livin’ in sin is the new thing (yeah)/Are – you in/I am countin’!/1, 2, 3″

1967 #3 All You Need Is Love by The Beatles

“There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done./Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung./Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game./It’s easy.
/Nothing you can make that can’t be made./No one you can save that can’t be saved./Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time./It’s easy./All you need is love”

Today #3: Party in the U.S.A by Miley Cyrus

“So I put my hands up, they’re playin’ my song/The butterflies fly away, I’m noddin’ my head like “Yeah!”/Movin’ my hips like “Yeah!”/Got my hands up, they’re playin’ my song/I know i’m gonna be ok/Yeah! It’s a party in the USA!/Yeah! It’s a party in the USA!/Get to the club in my taxi cab, everybody’s lookin’ at me now/Like “Who’s that chick that’s rockin’ kicks, she’s gotta be from outta town”/So hard with my girls not around me/It’s definitely not a Nashville party/cause all I see is stilettos/I guess I never got the memo”

1967 #7 Penny Lane by The Beatles

“Penny Lane is in my ears and in my ears /Full of fish and finger pies /in summer meanwhile back /Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout /A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray /And though she feels as if she’s in a play /She is anyway /Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer /We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim /And then the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain /very strange.”

Today #7 Paparazzi by Lady GaGa

“I’m your biggest fan, I’ll follow you until you love me/Papa, paparazzi/Baby, there’s no other superstar, you know that I’ll be/Your papa, paparazzi/Promise I’ll be kind/But I won’t stop until that boy is mine/Baby, you’ll be famous, chase you down until you love me/Papa, paparazzi”

1967 #32 Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin

“Every chain has got a weak link /I might be weak child, but I’ll give you strength /You told me to leave you alone /My father said come on home /My doctor said take it easy /Whole bunch of lovin is much too strong /I’m added to your chain, chain, chain /Chain, chain, chain, chain, /Chain, chain of fools “

Today #32 Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship

“I know your type/Boy you’re dangerous/And you’re that guy/I’d be stupid to trust/But just one night couldn’t be so wrong/You make me wanna lose control/She was so shy/‘Til I drove her wild/I make them good girls go bad/I make them good girls go bad/I was hanging in the corner/With my five best friends/I heard that you were trouble but I couldn’t resist/I make them good girls go bad/I make them good girls go/Good girls go bad”

1967 #50 Baby, Now That I’ve Found You by The Foundations

“Baby, baby, since first we met (doot-doot)/I knew in this heart of mine (I wanna tell you, doot-doot)/The love we had could not be bad (doot-doot)/Play it right and bide my time/Spent a lifetime looking for somebody/To give me love like you/Now you’ve told me that you wanna leave me/Darling, I just can’t let you.”

Today #50 Please Don’t Leave Me by Pink

“Can’t you tell that this is all just a contest?/The one that wins will be the one that hits the hardest/But baby I don’t mean it/I mean it, I promise/Da da da, da da/Please don’t leave me/Oh please don’t leave me/I always say how I don’t need you/But it’s always gonna come right back to this/Please, don’t leave me
I forgot to say out loud how beautiful you really are to me/I cannot be without, you’re my perfect little punching bag/And I need you, I’m sorry/Da da da, da da”

1967 #60 It Must Be Him by Vikki Carr

“After a while, I’m myself again/I take the pieces off the floor/Put my heart on the shelf again/You’ll never hurt me anymore
I’m not a puppet on a string/I’ll find somebody else someday/That’s when the phone rings, and once again/I start to pray
Let it please be him, oh dear God/It must be him , it must be him
or I shall die, Or I shall die/Oh hello, hello my dear God/It must be him but it’s not him/And then I die/That’s when I die”

Today #60 Ice Cream Paint Job by Dorrough

“Be around tint no window light/Car ride smooth so the rims all white/That right there see see I like /Got the top notch slab for da dirt cheap price/Press one button car automatic start (start)/Stand too close car alarm might bark (like what)/Arff Arff like a Q dog/Prime time click make you move like uhaul
Cream on the inside clean on the outside/Cream on the inside clean on the outside/Cream on the inside clean on the outside/Cream on the inside clean on the outside/Ice cream paint job”

1967 #70 Standing in the Shadows of Love by The Four Tops

“All alone I’m destined to be With misery my only company./It may come today, or it may come tomorrow/But it’s for sure I’ve got nothing but sorrow./I thought your conscience would kinda bother you/How can you watch me cry after all I’ve done for you?/Hold on a minute!/I gave you all the love I had, Now didn’t I,
When you needed me I was always there/Now wasn’t I, wasn’t I?”

Today #70 Uprising by Muse

“They will not force us,/They will stop degrading us,/They will not control us,/And we will be victorious/So come on
Interchanging mind-control,/Come, let the revolution take its toll,/If you could flick a switch and open your third eye,/You’d see that we should never be afraid to die,/So come on”

1967 #87 I Second That Emotion by Smokey Robinson

“Maybe you think that love would tie you down/You ain’t got the time to hang around/Maybe you think that love was made for fools/So it makes you wise to break the rules
Oh little girl, in that case I don’t want no part/That would only break my heart/Oh, but if you feel like loving me/If you got the notion/I second that emotion/Said, if you feel like giving me/A lifetime of devotion/I second that emotion”

Today #87 Bonfire by Craig Morgan

“at the bonfire, out in the sticks/country backwoods, homegrown hicks/bonfire, dance a little jig,/hold up your cup and take another swig/won’t sleep til dawn, party right down to the wire/at the bonfire
everybody sees the headlights/when old Sheriff John pulled up/we all got a little nervous/it’s too late to hide our cups/he pops a top and hollers real loud/dont worry yall i came to hang out”

The End!

[Well... maybe not quite...]

I’d like to add that I am in no way trying to say that there is no good music being released anymore (I’m quite fond of a few of these songs actually)- or that talent has somehow dwindled over the years. That was not the point of this comparison. However, I do think for the most part the Billboard 100 is not necessarily the best selection of music to showcase lyrical talent of today in general. 

Which brings me to my own personal agenda… The following are lyrics from a few of my favorite songs/bands who are making music today (I’m going to try to give a few genre selections, I might fail at this however). If you havent heard of them I highly suggest you give them a listen. 

She Is Not a Hottie Hotty by Select Start

“Another Messed up melody /Just locked and loaded in my mind/I can’t decide which one I’ll use on you/And I’ll do it in the right time
Don’t be alarmed by what I say/You’re not excited anyway/And everyone is here to have a good time/So rest assured you’re still my friend til’ the end/And all I have to do is rest with you my dear”

Rollerskates by Treaty of Paris

“We’ll spike the soda cans with booze /The weather on the news says /We should expect /The sun to make it’s long /Awaited return /On the big blue screen /Now this I gotta /See for myself /To all my friends I hope /That every word I wrote /Finds you well you know /I loved you all along /To all my enemies /unwelcome memories /I hope these words connect /Like a swift kick to the head”

Reanimation by Blackalicious

“Like this, into me, it is a secret/Emcees pretend to be kin to the Gift/I’m mentally shitting the wisdom of centuries/Wit, go on like a centipede’s length/Rappers want flames, man, I injure these shrimps/Skew em on the barb’ with some hickory chips/I’m a level higher than the intermediate/Rappers, I don’t care about your gender, descent/Background, police records, history, rent/Unpaid evictions, charge penalties sent/Merciless in battle leaving enemies bent, it’s the Gift”

Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked by Cage The Elephant

“Now a couple hours past, /And I was sitting in my house, /The day was winding down and coming to an end, /So I turned on the TV, /And flipped it over to the news, /And what I saw I almost couldn’t comprehend, /I saw a preacher man in cuffs /Taking money from the church, /He stuffed his bank account with righteous dollar bills /But even still I can’t say much /Because I know were all the same/Oh yes we all seek out to satisfy those thrills.
You know there ain’t no rest for the wicked/Money don’t grow on trees, /We got bills to pay /We got mouths to feed /Ain’t nothing in this world for free./Oh no/We can’t slow down, /We can’t hold back /Though you know we wish we could. /You know there ain’t no rest for the wicked, /Until we close our eyes for good.”

Hot Knives by Bright Eyes

“She went to see a Mystic who made medicine from rain/And gave up her existence to feel everything, dream others’ dreams/Bid farewell to her family with one ecstatic wave (Please take care I love you all)/Out the window as the car rolled away/She just vanished into a thick mist of change/So let us rejoice (Let’s Rejoice!)/In all this Pink Noise (Out Pink Noise!)/An oscillation that we can pin point (We’re right here!)”

Everything Is Alright by Motion City Soundtrack

“I’m sick of the things I do when I’m nervous/Like cleaning the oven or checking my tires/Or counting the number of tiles in the ceiling../Head for the hills, the kitchen’s on fire!
I used to rely on self-medication,/I guess I still do that from time to time./But I’m getting better at fighting the future,/”Someday you’ll be fine..”/Yes, I’ll be just fine.”

Such Great Heights by The Postal Service

“True, it may seem like a stretch, but/Its thoughts like this that catch my troubled/Head when you’re away when I am missing you to death/When you are out there on the road for/Several weeks of shows and when you scan/The radio, I hope this song will guide you home
They will see us waving from such great/Heights, ‘come down now,’ they’ll say/But everything looks perfect from far away,/’come down now,’ but we’ll stay…”

Just Because by Cavashawn

“I remember when we laughed and said/”I really want my life to matter
But I don’t know what I’m chasing after”/Now I finally see/I’m not who I hoped I’d be/
Just because/We never called it love/Doesn’t make it right to leave/Does it hurt you /The way it hurts me/To have to tell you this is goodbye?/And all the time spent wondering “would we make it?”/Now we know, we know, we know”

White Lines and Red Lights by Between the Trees

“Me and you together/This is getting better /Just butterflies won’t do/I don’t want just red lights/I want more of these nights/Baby I love you
Cause you are the brightest star/I’m in love with who you are
And you are the brightest star/I’m lost without your love 
You and me is what matters most/It’s not the intimacy that brings me/Closer to you…”

Woe by Say Anything

“Please take me out of my body /Up through the palm trees /To smell California in sweet hypocrisy./Floating my senses surround my body. /I wake my nose to smell that ocean burn./So now I’m forging ahead /Past all the plutocrats who sold me out./Go sob in your bed. /If life is twice as pretty once your dead /Then send me a card./I’m still the optimist though it is hard /When all you want to be /Is in a dream./(A dream)”

Love Me Dead by Ludo

“Love me cancerously, like a salt-sore soaked in the sea./”High maintenance” means your a gluttonous queen,/narcissistic and mean./Kill me romantically, fill my soul with vomit/then ask me for a piece of gum./Bitter and dumb, you’re my sugarplum/you’re awful, I love you…
She moves through moonbeams slowly/She knows just how to hold me
and when her edges soften, her body is my coffin./I know she drains me slowly/She wears me down to bones in bed…/must be the sign on my head, it says,/”Oh love me dead!” Love me dead”

Going Back/ Going Home by Butch Walker

“There’s a lady on my block that has a kid. /As he swims in the above ground pool, she seals up the lid. /And he thinks it’s kinda normal that she hides, 
All the cuts and all the bruises /She says it’s warpaint for the eyes. 
She tells her son she did the best she could as she buries Dad. /Maybe he’ll grow up to be a man, or like his father did. /As they leave the driveway for the northern snow, /They finally know the difference between going back and going home. “

Consequence of Sounds by Regina Spektor

“My rhyme ain’t good just yet,/My brain and tongue just met,/And they ain’t friends, so far,/My words don’t travel far,/They tangle in my hair,/And tend to go nowhere,/They grow right back inside,/Right past my brain and eyes/Into my stomach juice/Where they don’t serve much use,/No healthy calories,/Nutrition values./And I absorb back in/The words right through my skin/They sit there festering inside my bowels/The consonants and vowels/The consequence of sounds”

Ok. That is seriously all for now. I have sososo many more songs that keep popping up into my head that I would love to be able to list, but this blog is much too long already. I suppose at points in the near future I can post more blogs featuring more songs, but for now this is it. Because this is now so long I’m not really going to add much of an original commentary in regards to the comparison, take from it what you will. Hopefully at the very least, you found it interesting. 

If you actually made it through reading this and are here now, I love you. 

I will do my best to never write a blog this long ever again,

Me

This video has just popped up on YouTube and it’s an unofficial video from a fan for the song “Two Birds” from her album Far. The track is actually quite cute and it should be a single. The video is good for a fan-made effort.

Regina Spektor, my favourite red-lipped pianist(sorry Ben Folds..), played on SNL. And ooh, it sounds pretty good! Sadly enough I missed her show in Paradiso in July this year Aah well, I’m pretty sure I’ll catch her up once (or at least I hope).
Both songs, ‘The Calculation’ and ‘Eet’ are from her latest album ‘Far’, which was released earlier this year. And it’s pretty good I gotta say! Maybe not as good as ‘Begin to Hope’ but still really nice.

The Calculation

Eet

Did you notice that she changed clothes?

Weer een nieuwe artiest die ik recent wat meer ben gaan waarderen, is Regina Spektor. Geboren in de Sovjet-Unie als kind van joodse ouders, trok ze op 9-jarige leeftijd naar The Bronx in New York. Ja, wie had dat gedacht dat ik nog eens een jood zou aanprijzen!

Spektor’s stijl is beïnvloed door grote namen als Joni Mitchell en Björk. Ze is graag anders dan anderen, iets wat duidelijk merkbaar is op bijvoorbeeld haar bekendste nummer, “Fidelity”.

Een zekere aanrader is het album waar dat nummer op voorkomt, genaamd “Begin to Hope”, uit 2006. Het heeft voor ieder wat wils, van korte orchestrale tonen, waardoor nummers lijken op die van Imogen Heap (bekend van Hide & Seek uit diverse vrouwenseries), tot aan krachtige popliedjes, en niet te vergeten ballades. “Samson” is mijn persoonlijke favoriet.

Check het uit!

I was going to put these songs up individually but why not just blatantly advertise my favourite movie of the summer?

Us – Regina Spektor

Hero – Regina Spektor

She\’s Got You High – Mumm-Ra

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want – The Smiths

Just because I love Zooey Deschanel

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want – She & Him

Gotta work on my French…

Quelqu\’un M\’a Dit – Carla Bruni

A standout track in Regina Spektor’s ill-fated album Far. This is how you do a no-budget video.

Far is not settling well with us, but this song is good and the video equally so.

Nocha monga mierdistica, en vez de ponerme a hacer asignaciones, pues mejor me quejo aqui como buena llorona quejona mamalona.

Quiero mi carro ya.

Me arden los ojitos, quiero dormir.

Quiero una computadora que aguante juegos mas pesaos que los de N64.

Quiero mi carro ya.

Quiero mi pelito lacion y bello como de las chinas

Spektor callate, quiero tu voz, pendeja!

Orita compre doritos y se los comieron, osea, yo comi, pero yo queria pa ahora de noche, y no hay ya 

No pude dormir de tarde, eso es del diablo.

Uzi no tiene computadora

Ninja no se conecta

Este tipo no arrozconpinguea casi

Acaba de llegar  >C

Entra aqui, y pon el himno jalcoal

Más melancolía para estos maravillosos días de verano.
Regina, rusa de nacimiento, aprovechó la Perestroika y emigró junto a sus padres en busca del sueño americano. Su afición por el piano y la composición musical, le abrieron las puertas de la industria.
“I hear in my mind…all these words, all this music, and it breaks my heart”

La estética del videoclip es sublime!

Von einem Kollegen bekam ich diese Musikempfehlung “Regina Spektor”. Dieser Titel hat ein buntes happy end

Regina Spektor

“Un concerto fantastico in una location spettacolare” direbbe un romantico, “Non si potevano spendere meglio venti euro” direbbe un economista.
Insomma, la performance di Regina Spektor del 15 luglio 2009 al Villa Arconati Festival mette tutti d’accordo. Il palco è montato sotto un tendone nei giardini di Villa Arconati nell’hinterland milanese, i posti sono numerati e l’atmosfera è famigliare, ben lontana dai soliti festival in piazza.
Regina entra in scena dopo una buona performance di Joan as a Policewoman, in un abito nero che mette ancor di più in evidenza la sua chiara carnagione. Si siede al pianoforte a coda posizionato al centro del palco, accompagnata dalla batteria, da un violino, un violoncello e dagli immancabili applausi.
Apre la serata con dei pezzi del nuovo album “Far” eseguiti magistralmente, senza stonare nemmeno quando la band lascia il palco e lei canta accompagnata soltanto dal ritmo delle dita che battono sul microfono. Sbaglia solamente in “Man Of A Thousand Faces”, ma supportata dal pubblico recupera immediatamente. Si sbizzarrisce suonando “Poor Little Rich Boy”, eseguita con una mano al pianoforte e con l’altra ritmando una bacchetta su una sedia, e da vera “one-woman band” suona timidamente anche la chitarra in “That Time” e “Bobbin’ for Apples”.
Per concludere l’oretta e mezza di performance, nel bis esegue brani come “Fidelity”, “Samson” e “Us”.
Si conclude quindi la serata e sicuramente non c’era modo migliore di passare un mercoledì sera di metà luglio se non godendosi questo spettacolo.
Alla fine dello show, mentre i rodie smontavano l’attrezzatura, Regina si è fermata per firmare qualche autografo e scattare qualche foto con i fan dimostrando, tra le altre doti, una semplicità ammirevole.

Autograph

Better single choice, worse video choice.

Since being “discovered” by the Strokes in the early 2000s, Regina
Spektor’s been polishing her act for the mainstream. The end result is far, a surprisingly dull record featuring almost none of the playfully whacked, creative gusto that was, up until now, her trademark. The rough edges Spektor once proudly flaunted have been sanded down by no less than four (!) producers, and while there’s an occasional bright spot (the moody “Genius Next Door,” the bouyant “The Calculation”), much of the record resorts to the kind of preachy pop treacle she used to be the antithesis of. (She does mimic a dolphin during “Folding Chair,” but it just doesn’t feel the same. Sigh.)

Music bloggers roasted Spektor when her Begin to Hope track “Fidelity” made an appearance on scrubs-opera Grey’s Anatomy, but at the time I wrote it off as a happy convergence of art and commerce. But far sounds too much like rom-com fishing. Note to ReSpekt: if you don’t want people to think you’re writing songs for Grey’s, don’t start one with “No one laughs at God in a hospital.”

So the new Regina Spektor album is dropping to the public tomorrow on June 23rd, and I am actually interested in hearing the new material.  For those that know me, and well actually know who Spektor is you probably already understand my blog post’s title. For those that do not know who she is let me clue you in. She’s a Russian born musician who moved to the States, the Bronx specifically, at age 9. She plays what most would call contemporary singer songwriter material that of course in done in a woman’s style with her piano. Now if you at least know me your saying and he likes her because….?

Well honestly I can not say why I am drawn to Regina Spektor’s music. I liked the single Fidelity from her 2006 album Begin to Hope, and I have heard a couple new cuts from her album Far dropping tomorrow on Sirius XMU. I guess maybe the songs just have enough pop sensibilities so it is not to singer song writery. I know she is suppose to be part of the “anti-folk” music, but I have never really been down with the fact that anti-folk was a musical descriptor in the first place. Maybe I am just getting sappy in my old age. I hope that is not it, and I don’t really think it is. I think it sounds just indie enough to still draw me in without seeming like to mainstream cheesy pop like a Vanessa Carlton. Spektor also tends to have this whimsical quality to her songs, and I definitely think that is a huge drawing point for me.

Of course it is not exactly music I am going to bust out at a party or when I am hanging with the fellas. Maybe it would be good music when I am out with a chick, but well you know how that goes. She also seems to not take herself to seriously unlike say an Ani Defranco. Even good Defranco songs get to me cause I swear she seems to into herself and all of her causes.  Regina Spektor definitely does not take herself to seriously. Maybe I just figured I needed to diversify my musical listening, and I wanted to bring in more women to my playlist. Whatever it is she has been wanting to hear her new stuff tomorrow which is win for her. I just hope it is win for me to in that her album is solid so I have good new music to listen too!