Something Old, Something New

About a week or two ago, Inara George and Greg Kurstin, the duo better known as The Bird and the Bee, officially released their third full length album, entitled “Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates”. I may be biased because I have gotten to know Inara over the past year or so and they are easily one of my favorite groups, but for me the album was exactly what I was expecting and then some. I had first learned they were working on the cover album in February of last year when I heard them play “I Can’t Go For That” live on several occasions, and absolutely fell in love with what they had done with the song. The album, like this song, still retains the lyrical and compositional dignity that makes Hall & Oates great, however Greg does such an incredible job adding modern musical elements and reinventing each track that they have truly made the works their own; not to mention the endearingly sweet yet fearless vocals Inara always provides that draw me to love her voice so much. If you love Hall & Oates like I do or have heard any music by The Bird and the Bee in the past, I highly recommend looking into this fantastic cover album, especially “I Can’t Go For That”, “Rich Girl”, and “Heard It On The Radio”.

Can Someone Please Give The Members of Noah and the Whale a Hug?

I recently bought Noah and the Whale’s latest album, The First Days of Spring, wholeheartedly expecting whimsical and charmingly light music based off of the title and the incredibly beautiful photographs that comprise the record’s album artwork. The music itself absolutely did not disappoint; I have always thought they had an incredible sound and that Charlie Fink had quite an endearing voice. But for the love of God I have never heard so many songs in a row about someone with a broken heart trying to talk himself through a seemingly horrid breakup with a girl who, like Beyoncé, is irreplaceable. “You can give up anything when you’re following you’re heart… I thought I believed in love but I never see it through”… “I’m a fox trapped in the headlights, oh and I’m waiting for the tires to spin over me”…buddy, pull yourself together. I guess I should have expected some of their classic pessimism, as I long ago took quite a liking to that undeniably relatable cynicism found in such songs as “Shape of My Heart”. But this poor boy/the whole group/whoever wrote the lyrics, despite having undeniable talent, really needs some Prozac.

Regardless, I really do love “ Blue Skies”, “First Days of Spring”, and the incredibly innovative “Love of an Orchestra”. I don’t know if I would recommend buying the whole album as I did, but definitely give those songs a listen…misery loves company, after all.

The band also decided to create an accompanying mini-film for the album, which is absolutely gorgeous and well done despite how tragically forlorn the entire video is. It does, however, include Daisy Lowe and a God-impersonator dancing around in a turtleneck, so it’s worth watching.

The Stars Have Aligned...

And now my life is complete, because Mumford & Sons have covered Vampire Weekend's "Cousins", and it is just one of the best things I've ever heard. It has the distinct Mumford & Sons feel and they have done something completely different with the song, but now I can't decide if I prefer the original to this or not. Listen to the MP3 here:

Mumford & Sons- "Cousins"

What do Vampire Weekend, Joe Jonas, and Jake Gyllenhaal have in common?

Apparently, this video. Vampire Weekend recently released the video for their second single off of Contra, "Giving Up The Gun", which is easily one of my favorite songs of 2010 so far... the video is quite funny and really cute. Not sure why they chose those two to be in it, but you know when you're Vampire Weekend i guess you can do whatever the fuck you want.

Watch the video here:

Volcano Choir

So, I was perusing iTunes and I came across Volcano Choir, Bon Iver’s side project I had no idea he was working on until now. The music on their debut album, Unmap, definitely measures up to Bon Iver’s previous work (and, seeing as he is one of my favorites, I automatically didn’t think twice before buying the entire album). Unmap has been out for a while now, but if you haven’t heard it I highly recommend listening to “Seeplymouth”, “Island IS”, and “Husks and Smells”, they are quite relaxing and beautiful.

???

Not to slander one of my favorite artists but uh.... what the fuck? Kate Nash has been working on her new album after about two years since the release of Made of Bricks, and she just posted a free download of one of the tracks off of the new album, entitled "I Just Love You More". I was so excited to hear what she had been working on, and to be honest after I downloaded it I was left disappointed. It doesn't have that same pleasantly mundane, homey charm to it, but rather sounds like an awkward attempt at a Karen O/ Emily Haines vibe, which just isn't what I was expecting. I DO know however that the album will include a song called "Don't You Want To Share The Guilt?" which is one of my favorites of hers, so I'm not giving up hope for the new album. And who knows, maybe this song will grow on me? I'll let you all be the judge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH5X1yvv8Eo

I'm In Love With A Little Lion Man

I feel it is appropriate, being inundated with snow and not wanting to step out in the Connecticut cold, to share with you guys a band that I have been listening to non-stop whilst lying in bed and drinking tea. I am, without a doubt, becoming absolutely obsessed with Mumford and Sons, a relative new band made up of that has swept London’s indie folk scene off its feet within the last year. This band is absolutely incredible, there's something about a great drum beat and the sound of a mandolin that I find irresistible. The simplicity of their soothing melodies and the universally lovable sound they have created makes me fully confident that Marcus Mumford and the rest of these talented musicians will have no problem making themselves a huge international success. If you are a Noah and the Whale, Johnny Flynn, or Laura Marling fan this band is definitely for you. Their EP, Sigh No More, is available on iTunes, and I believe the full record will be released in the US soon. My recommendations: “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man”.

Watch the video for “The Cave” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkUeRPjc-Y, it is suitably as fantastic as the song itself.

A Band That Has Made Me Bite My Tongue

I’ll be honest with you, when I first saw Yacht in 2008 open for Vampire Weekend at the El Rey in Los Angeles, I thought, here we go again, another stereotypical indie duo trying to make it big by being weird as fuck with bizarre lyrics and off-beat time signatures. Sure they had clever lyrics and Jona and Claire, the band’s members, had clear chemistry, but listening to songs like “It’s Boring/ You Can Live Anywhere You Want” the first time did nothing but irritate me (sorry to sound so bitter… there’s a happy ending, I promise). It was not until this fall that I decided to go against my gut and listen to my friends who told me that they in fact did not suck, but were becoming quite innovative in their use of electronic music and in the compositions of their songs.

I stand corrected, or at the very least I am willing to say that my mind has been successfully changed about Yacht. Even they themselves say on their myspace that “current incarnation began gestating in 2008, and at this point bears no resemblance, except biologically, to the previous versions. The YACHT of 2009 is the true form of YACHT”. Alright, so the shitty phase was a gestation phase; that I can live with. It is with songs like “Psychic City”, “Summer Song”, and “I’m In Love With A Ripper” that I have gone from hopelessly pessimistic to pleasantly surprised as I dance around in my room to their clever beats and catchy lyrics, simplistic as they may be. I am glad Yacht put the impressive amount of effort in evolving their sound and solidifying their delightfully androgynous persona; it is definitely safe to say that Yacht is making waves in the indie music scene (pun intended).

New She & Him!

She & Him's newest single, "In the Sun", was just recently released, coinciding with the announcement of their second album release, Volume Two, on March 23rd. I've always thought Zooey Deschanel's voice is so unique and captivating, and this song really shows it off. Give it a listen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7jNDN2QgKw

A Fever You Just Can't Break

It's been about a year since swedesh-born Karin Andersson aka Fever Ray, also known as half of the duo The Knife, released her self-titled debut album, and I have to say I have fallen madly in love with her music recently. She takes electronic music and gives it an entrancing, psychadellic twist, adding amazing vocal effects and experimental accompaniment. She's really formed a unique identity for herself and I think she's absolutely fantastic. If the name is new to you definitely check her out.