"For Emma" - Bon Iver

The album "For Emma Forever Ago" is possibly my favorite release from the past 5, maybe even 10, years. It is extremely melancholy, but so serene, peaceful and soothing. It's a complete mixture of emotions. Justin Vernon, who is the singer, songwriter and guitarist for the group, is an astounding talent.  His voice is mesmerizing, beautiful and filled with sensitivity.

The track I am featuring today is not a cut from the album, but an a cappella version instead. I will post a video for the album version as well, so you may draw comparisons; but the a cappella version is far superior in my opinion. The harmonies among the three singers are phenomenal, rich and powerful. Vernon's talents are visibly carrying the group here, as he sings the lead and directs the harmonizing vocalists through the piece.  One of my favorite things about this piece is that it's performed in a hallway inside an apartment building in Paris. Watch as the residents all lean out their doors to see the performance; a performance they did not expect to receive, but all enjoy immensely. If only I were lucky enough to live in a place where Justin Vernon would just drop in and sing some songs in the corridor of my apartment building. I'm jealous.

The a cappella version:





The album version:

"God's Gonna Cut You Down" - Johnny Cash & "Run On For A Long Time" - Bill Landford and the Landfordaires

I've been struggling over internal conflict about this post all morning. Originally I was completely convinced that I would be posting about the Johnny Cash version of this song, but the more I listen to the Bill Landford and the Landfordaires gospel version (same song, different title) from 1943, the more I crave to write about that one. My solution is to write about both.

The Johnny Cash version is hard, rugged and dark; very Johnny-Cash-like.  His acoustic guitar picks and slides through gritty, hardened folk music. His deep voice, rhythmic and weathered; experienced. It's the bass drum and clapping combination, however, that really moves this song.  It has a foot-stomping rhythm to it that builds pressure inside your veins.  It's like a shot of adrenalin.  The music amps you up with emotion; sadness, anger, rage, yearning. There's a level of darkness here that only The Man in Black could evoke, and it does the song great justice.

The music video for Cash's great piece is excellent, too. Shot entirely in black and white, it holds to the dark quality of his work. It's fun to watch too, as everyone in the video is a famous entertainer. See if you can identify everyone in it. Unfortunately, the embedding feature on youtube has been disabled for this video, but I encourage you to follow this link - it'll be 3 of the most enjoyable minutes of your day.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxh-FfElY0M

"Run On For A Long Time" is the original title of the folk song that Cash covered. The first time I had heard this song was on the album "Play" by Moby, released in 1999.  Moby sampled the vocals of his piece from Bill Landford and the Landfordaires, a 1940's gospel group. This morning I searched the actual Bill Landford and the Landfordaires version it blew my fucking mind. Completely different from the Cash version, the song still holds an intensity and sadness, without the darkness that Johnny Cash gives it.  The guitar is more subtle, almost absent from the piece entirely.  The primary driving force behind this track is the amazing harmonizing vocals. Sung in a capella style, higher vocals harmonize over a deep baritone section.  Emotions still run high, as you can hear the pain in the voices of those singing and feel their oppression in the music.  You feel for them, you feel with them, you'll sing with them too, and move along to the music. I've been scouring the internet all morning for an album so I can hear more of their music, but my search has lead me no where. For now I'll just keep listening to this piece, and just be happy I've found what I have.

Give this one a listen and compare it with the Cash link from above!

"9 Crimes" - Damien Rice

I have been a Damien Rice fan for 7 years now (fuck that makes me feel old!). Back then I worked at a record store, where an Irish couple introduced me to his first album "O", which is still to this day one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time. If I aspire to sound like any musician it is Damien Rice, because of the music on "O".  "9 Crimes" is not on "O" however.  This track is the opening song from "9", Rice's second and final release.
When this album first came out 4 years ago I was addicted to this song. I'd put it on every chance I could, and listen to it over and over again.  The piano still to this day gives me goose bumps right from the beginning.  The vocals are exemplary pieces of harmonization, and provide a solid argument for my belief that Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan sing the best harmonies in the business. Lisa's voice is chilling, cold and meloncholy, yet as strikingly beautiful as her appearance, while Damien's voice is unpolished, troubled and haunting.  The use of strings and a single bass drum help lead the song into an unforgettable climax, where the chilling melody meets the haunting music for a bone chilling experience that could break the heart of any listener.
Following the release of "9", I was fortunate enough to see Damien live at the Boston Opera House. I took my wife (girlfriend then) because I had introduced her to the amazing talents of this man. Before the tour, it turned out, Lisa had left the band leaving Damien to sing on his own.  Initially I was disappointed but the show ended up being amazing anyway. Lisa's harmony adds such depth to Damien's music, but his talent is so strong that he could survive without her. The shitty thing is that since her departure four years ago there hasn't been any new material from Damien Rice, or another world tour. I hope things will change soon!

"Will There Be Enough Water" - The Dead Weather

Jack White has 3 bands. I'm not sure how he finds the time, or what his muse is for writing so many songs, but he seems to feel the need for multiple outlets for his creativity. I've avoided listening to the Dead Weather for a long time because of that fact. I love the White Stripes, but I feel like Jack failed with The Raconteurs (his second band), with the exception of "The Level", which is one of his more bad ass songs. I made the assumption that because his second band was a failure, his third would be even worse, and I was wrong. When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me, and I did exactly that. I am an ass.

"Will There be Enough Water" is the type of song that I love Jack White for. It's bluesy, it's rock, it's distorted and it is bad ass beyond belief. The guitar work in this song can only be compared to Jimmy Page. It's epic, it's raw, it's dirty, it's just kick ass blues. Even better -  it's live! The band is so tight that they put together a live performance that most bands couldn't master in a studio. Fucking show offs. I'm finding that no matter what I write, I just can't do this track the justice it deserves. Give it a listen and just see for yourselves.

"Hook" - Blues Traveler

Taking a break from the obscure bands I listen to now and flashing back to my days as an 8th grader back in the mid 90's. Actually, Blues Traveler might be obscure now too, but I'm hoping that's not so. This band was a phenomenal success in the 90's, especially this song and "Runaround". People knew them as the band with the obese lead singer who could really tear it up on the harmonica. He's even responsible for the harmonica part in "What Would You Say" by Dave Matthews.

Whenever I hear Blues Traveler I think of an interview I saw of John Popper (the fat singer/harmonica player) about 10 years ago. Popper had undergone a liposuction and a stomach stapling to trim off the pounds. He didn't even look like the same person any more, he was so skinny. His new look could actually be in direct correlation with the bands loss in popularity, though it could also be attributed to a decline in people who wear Birkenstocks and tie-dye t-shirts. Back to the liposuction. I applaud people for their motivation to lose weight, but I was shocked to hear Popper admit to a national audience what had been his deciding factor.
Apparently Popper was spending an evening alone, and had been browsing the  plethora of x rated video content online. After several minutes of taking matters into his own hands (so to speak) Popper began experiencing strange, painful sensations in his chest and left arm. Concerned, he stopped, the pain passed, and he began the process over again. A few minutes into his second attempt, the pain returned, he took another break. According to his interview, this went on for 4 hours before he decided to go to the ER. This must be the only man to check himself into the hospital with an erection lasting longer than 4 hours who hadn't consumed Viagra. As it turned out, Popper was suffering from a heart attack because he was too out of shape to masturbate. I'm left puzzled here. The man played harmonica with ferocious intensity without any sign of heart failure. In a live show, Popper would steal the stage, sweating like a half-fucked-fox in a forest fire, cranking out on the harmonica with more stamina than I think I could find in myself. He sits down to watch a porn, and almost dies? What the hell was the guy doing to himself? Thankfully, during his over-share on national TV, he didn't get into that.

Popper's issues aside, this song is incredible. It's catchy, fun, energetic, and for me, it's a bit of middle-school nostalgia.

"So Happy Together" - The Turtles

This just blew my effing my mind. All this time I thought this was The Beatles, and today I find out it's by The Turtles. Who in the hell are The Turtles? I've obviously heard them, but I hadn't ever heard OF them.  It's really hard to believe this song wasn't the product of a Beatles acid trip, but instead, of a Turtles acid trip; I mean lets be honest, it doesn't matter who wrote this song, they were on acid. Seriously, they were. It was the mid 60's. There was so much fucking acid around that it rained LSD at Woodstock. You probably could have found an I-V drip for acid if you tried, or even an LSD enema if you so wanted.
With or without the hallucinations however, "So Happy Together" is a wonderful song. There's no other way to put it. If this song doesn't make you smile, you must be dead.  Even if you don't speak English, the music alone is enough to make you grin. And, if you do speak English, you'll notice that the lyrics are charming and sweet, just like the peppy music that will absorb your brain quicker than the acid that created the song.  There's nothing complex about it. It's just a simple, psychedelic love song that sounds like it should have been a cut on Sergeant Pepper's.

The fucking Turtles... I can't believe it.

"Rio" - Hey Marseilles

Rio is not a Duran Duran cover. I was pleased to learn this after downloading the free single from the bands website http://www.heymarseilles.com/.  What "Rio" is, however, is a very pleasant, melodic and catchy song.

A plethora of instruments were used in making "Rio", but the intro is nothing more than a smile enducing cadence of clapping hands, partnered soon after with an acoustic guitar.  A cheerful explosion of music erupts into the song.  I don't think any listener would be able to fight back a grin at the least, upon hearing the joyful sound.  It's a colorful combination of piano, xylophone, string and bow instruments, drums, and horns. Vocally, and lyrically, I'm immediately reminded of a cross between Michael Stipe of REM and Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, only the music is much more worldly and elegant.

"Rio" feels like it could teach you to waltz, just by listening, or maybe even river dance.  It could brighten your day, no matter how gloomy you're feeling. Undoubtedly, you'll find yourself swaying back and forth, humming along, as if you've been brain washed by the spiked punch.  A blend of cultures and style, "Rio" is more than a song, it is an experience that can be enjoyed by all.

"I am the changer" - Cotton Jones

There's something relieving about discovering new music that sounds like it was released in the 1970's. Maybe that's because I'm a traditionalist? I just like to know that the comforting, quality sound of music that my dad surrounded me with while I was a child isn't a dying genre. Cotton Jones is so convincingly 1970's, that if I hadn't seen them on youtube, I wouldn't have believed they were a newer band, or as young as they appear to be.

Delicately, the acoustic guitar introduces the soft, melancholy song.  The nylon strings almost sound like a lullaby. With a sincerity in his voice, the vocals start in with a soft drawl, that reminds me of a much toned down Warren Haynes.  Soon, a female voice, soothing and slightly drawling as well, begins to harmonize.  The two together produce such a beautiful sound, I feel a flutter pass through my chest. The hair of my arms stands on end. Emotions, not my own, maybe theirs, begin to flow through me. Maintaining the easy tempo, the song progresses with humming, and la la la's, and I find myself joining them, without actually making the decision to do so.

If you're into The Eagles, Wilco, Badly Drawn Boy, Neil Young or something along those lines, this is your new band for sure!

"The Recluse" - Cursive

For some reason I keep putting off buying this CD, and each time I hear this song I feel like an idiot for that. Cursive sounds like a potent concoction of The Cure and Modest Mouse, with a touch of Pinback.  High treble guitars pluck out the catchy rhythm section, while a simple, yet effective drum line, alternates between kick bass and snare.  The bassline is intricate, rhythmic, and a little funky, almost mimicking the rhythm guitar. In the background, violins and cellos play soft, beautiful accompaniment. Vocally, the band mixes up a blend of sounds.  The verse is whispery, and choppy, keeping you intrigued, waiting for a climax. A call and answer approach is used for the chorus, alternating between the whispering voice and the singing voice.  Sometimes there's a female harmony as well.  "The Recluse"  sounds as if it could be a track from Modest Mouse's The Moon and Antarctica (ie. back when they were awesome!) and for that, among other reasons, you can't help but love it.

It's a hum-a-long, bob-your-head kind of song.  Easily, you can get wrapped up in the tempo, and the music.  Possible side effects to listening to this song include, speeding tickets, goose bumps, and enjoyment.

"This Must Be the Place" - Miles Fisher

Alright, it's a cover song. Though I will always love the Talking Heads version (the original) the most, this is still really cool. Oddly enough, my boss is friends with Miles Fisher, who is also the man in this video who happens to look just like Christian Bale, or sometimes Tom Cruise.  Must suck to look like that. Ha.

Musically, the cover is fun, up tempo and loaded with synth.  What I love about this song more than anything, however, is the video.  It's not just any old music video. Fisher actually does a remake of American Psycho, and crams it into a video that's under 5 minutes long.  Who ever http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1115909918293398765directed and filmed the video did an excellent job lining up key parts of the video with appropriate lyrics. One of the greater moments of the video involves a 3-way with two models, one of which is the daughter of Patty Hearst.

I was skeptical when I first heard about the synching of this song to such gruesome content, but it works surprisingly well. The obvious choice for Talking Heads songs would have been "Psycho Killer", which makes the use of "This Must Be the Place" so much better, and unexpected!

For your enjoyment, I've attached the video.

"Blister in the Sun" - Violent Femmes

Don't get me wrong, the Violent Femmes are a good band. I like their music.. I just hate Blister in the Sun. It hasn't always been that way though. I liked the song in middle school.  But now, the more I hear it, the more I loathe it.  I hate listening to people sing along to it, I don't like the lyrics, and I don't like his voice.  I hate when people use this song as a party song, a bar song, a driving song. Every possible use of this song has become unoriginal, over done, and flat out annoying.  The only thing that's left to do with the song is retire it, but that doesn't seem to happen.  Instead, it seems to become more popular every year, as if it were a recent hit.  Can we somehow erase this song from the music catalog and just remember the Violent Femmes for "Kiss Off", which is by far a superior song, and still a sensational hit.  The more I hear Blister in the Sun, the less I enjoy the Violent Femmes, and I really want to like this band.  Can we somehow start a petition to replace Blister in the Sun permanently with Kiss Off? Someone help me out here, please.

"Lasso" - Phoenix

I have been a Phoenix fan for a couple of years now, and purchased the Wolfgang Amadeus album not long after its release in May of 2009. At first I was addicted to Lsiztomania and 1901. I mean, seriously addicted. Truthfully, I may still be. But, those addictions seem to be subsiding and are now being replaced by another track from this disc, called "Lasso". I really liked this song when I first bought the CD but I was blinded by the other two tracks, and didn't give it equal opportunity. Now, however, I just can't get enough of this song. It has the funkiest, craziest bass line, that I have to bob my head to, and the vocals have such a unique rhythm and style. The chorus is so catchy that I found myself singing it all day long - even in those moments when I zone out and there shouldn't be anything going on in the ol' noggin (you know the moments I'm talking about!)

When of the more impressive facts I'd like to share about Phoenix is that they are from France, but sing all of their songs in English, and do it in a very American way. No accents, great use of the English language. I'm totally jealous. I seriously envy people who are bilingual.

If you haven't heard this band, check 'em out. They have a sound that just about everyone can enjoy!

ps. Soon enough I'll be posting something I don't like, just be patient.

Farewell Milwaukee

Wow, I love this band! They remind me of Ryan Adams (my favorite recording artist), crossed with the Damnwells and Damien Rice. I accidentally discovered this group on Pandora the other day, and now I can't get enough of them. The music is smooth, and easy. Though they are from Minneapolis, the sound could easily be mistaken as southern. I guess they're another great band to fall under the label "Alt-Country", which has been made popular by Wilco and Ryan Adams.  The vocals are smooth, harmonious and calming and the music much the same. Even the live recordings on youtube, completely stripped of production, percussion and bass, are amazing. Just two guys jamming together on acoustic guitars, singing in harmony, some really heartfelt stuff. Really love it! 

"The Tiger and How We Tamed It" -Viva Voce

The first time I heard Viva Voce was 4 years ago at a Jimmy Eat World show. I'm still not sure who's idea it was to have this band open for Jimmy Eat World, since the music is not similar at all, but I'm glad they did because I'm not sure I'd have heard them otherwise.

The band is a duo, consisting of Kevin Robinson and Anita Robinson. I'm not sure what the relationship is between the two (whether they are married, or related), but they play off each other well. Initially at the show, the audience was quite taken by how good looking they both are, but both proved to be extremely talented musicians. Kevin plays a ton of instruments. He played the drums, he played the keys, the bass, the guitar, synth, some weird computer stuff and so on, as well as vocals (lead and back up). Anita pretty much stuck to her guitar, which she really rocks on.  She's great as a lead and a rhythm guitar player.

This song is definitely my favorite of theirs. It's beautifully dark and mysterious. It's grungy, but fresh and new. The vocals are clear and gorgeous, accompanied by raw, distorted guitars, keys and drums. Symbols crash with epic sound, allowing for such a slow song to move along at the perfect pace and rhythm. The whole thing reminds me of a rainy day. It feels sort of sad, but comforting at the same time.

"night by night" - Chromeo

Immediately upon hearing the intro, heavily laden with key-tars, synth and slap bass, I knew I was in for a good time. Electronic drums pound in the background, while cheesy guitar riffs accompany the sound of a talk-box (a device used to make a person's voice robotic). I wasn't sure what to do with myself. I felt as if I should be slam dancing, wearing sunglasses at night, or possibly dancing on the ceiling with a Caribbean queen. I wanted to party All Night Long. The track is the ultimate homage to 80's dance music, that I did indeed find myself dancing like a Maniac in my living room (cut me some slack, I'm home alone).

Mid song, the song breaks into a total 80's meltdown. First, the guitar wails into a solo that can only make one think of Eddie Van Halen's solo for Michael Jackson's Beat It. Before the guitar even finishes, the key-tar interrupts with phenomenal force. The keys clang with electronic precision, and remind me of Michael Sembello's Maniac, only, if possible, with more cheese!

Chromeo came to me per recommendation of my friend Evan (a fellow music addict). Evan, as usual, you did not steer me wrong. This song is a gem! I love it. It's fun, it's totally ironic, and definitely usable for house parties, nights out at the bar, or just for a quick energy boost.

Radioactive - Kings of Leon

So, the Kings of Leon have a new single, which I heard today, and a forth coming album this fall. Having been a fan of the Kings of Leon for years, I am weary of how the new release will sound, given all of the success they achieved through Only By The Night. Of course, to date, I have enjoyed all of their albums, and have embraced all of the sound changes the band has had. Often times though, when a band has a smash hit, the artists will adapt their sound to be more like the major hit in order to continue moving massive quantities of records. This happens frequently, and my favorite example is the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who had huge success with Under the Bridge, and have continued pumping out poor quality ballads ever since. Under the Bridge is a great song, but it's not the sound the band always did well (that sound is funk), which is why the attempts at recreating this sound have been less enjoyable for a "true" Chili Peppers fan (however,the songs sell massive amounts of records, and bring in loads of money for the band).  Bands that fall victim to this are known as "sell-outs", and there's nothing a true fan hates more than a sell-out.
My fear is that the Kings of Leon will become sell-outs, and try to recreate Sex on Fire, or Use Somebody throughout the entire new album. Both tracks are great, but it's nice to see a band grow and develop, as the Kings of Leon have done on all of their records. With this in mind, I approached the latest single (Radioactive) with caution.

Immediately, the track begins with a great rhythm guitar riff. The riff is almost more like a bass line than anything. A higher pitch, lead guitar starts in soon after, and the song is off to a great start. The sound is not at all a sell out. It's very much the Kings of Leon I love.  The deep, single note rhythm guitar, the harmonious lead, the drums carrying the driving tempo are all exactly the way I've enjoyed the band over the past couple albums, only a little different.  The difference is subtle, not so much a change, but a sign of growth, improvement, development. When Caleb Followill begins to sing, I noticed the largest change in the band. I'm not sure how I'm feeling about it at this point, but it seems the recording studio was trying to make him sound Eddie Vedder-ish. I really enjoy Eddie Vedder, and Pearl Jam, but Caleb's voice is his own, and shouldn't be tampered with or encouraged to be anything that he isn't. Granted, it sounds good with the song, I hope the whole album doesn't go in that direction. Even with great music, a change in the singers voice be enough to deem the band a sell-out!

PDA - Interpol

When I first heard this song in 2005, I was convinced that Interpol would be one of the next big bands. Granted, the sound of the band is not what I would call mainstream, the songs possess great sing-a-long ability, and will often pop into the heads of Interpol listeners unannounced at any given time. PDA is by far the greatest example of this, which is why I found myself cranking the volume knob far to the right, nodding my head to the rhythm best I could, and singing at the top of my lungs. Even through the cracking of my voice, the enjoyment of the song was not lost for my wife, who happened to be sitting beside me in the car, nodding her head as well.
The breakdown, towards the end of the track, is definitely my favorite part of the song. There's an airy quality to it that creates a lonely, almost haunting feeling. The vocals echo subtly, as if Paul Banks (the vocalist) is singing in an empty vault.  Meanwhile, the guitar seamlessly plays a revolving, trance-like chord progression that pulls the listener in by the ear and wipes the mind clear of all thoughts that do not pertain to the song at hand.
Today, in the middle of this very breakdown, my mind about to be completely tuned out from the world, I found myself thinking, "Shit. I'm driving, and this song's about to put me in a trance!"

My Blog

So, you've come to check out my blog! Though it is titled song of the day, that does not necessarily mean it will be my favorite song of the day, or even a song I enjoyed. No. This blog will simply be my opinion, or reaction to the song I felt strongest about that I happened to hear that given day. Maybe I love the song, maybe I hate it, or maybe it resurrected memories from long ago and you end up reading my nostalgic spew.

Welcome!