These are a few bands that are new to me (and with the exception of Stars probably new to you) and while not entirely tight packages they all do have a few tunes that are worth a listen.
Derby
I can’t remember where I found Derby. It could have been when I started my eMusic account and spent an entire day tripping through links to “other bands like this” and poking around random music lists. But it doesn’t really matter cause I found em.From what I have found of their stuff and by listening to their MySpace posting they are still developing their sound but If Ever There’s A Reason demonstrates good use of hand clapping (look for a post on this oft overlooked percussive addition soon) and simple guitar.
Hello Saferide
I will admit I haven’t done an exhaustive search into Hello Saferide but I can tell you they are one of the many Indie Pop groups bustin out of Sweden as of late. I’m not sure whats in the water over there but the music talent per capita is astonishingly high. Hello Saferide is not the best they have to offer but their songs are good and their lyrics intriguing. Their music ranges from v. perky pop tending towards a Twee sound to fairly standard indie sweet wit. I’d point you towards Anna, Get Sick Soon and If I Don’t Write This Song, Someone I Love Will Die.
Stars
Recently there has been a trend in my concert going, perhaps due to my growing familiarity with up-and-coming music, but I have been going to more shows to see the opening acts rather than the headliners. In this case I was going to see Bell X1 a newer band from Ireland who were opening for Stars at the Trocadero. Stars totally won out over Bell X1 who still needs to work on their live show. Stars got big last year with the release of their album In Our Bedroom After The War. I had heard a few tracks but nothing had really grabbed me. But let me tell you seeing them live changed that. They opened the show with The Night Starts Here which got the crowd going then laid out their set with character and spunk. I liked a lot of what I heard, most of it their older stuff like Elevator Love Letter and My Favorite Book. Live they really bring their great lyrics to life a spark they don’t seem to capture on recording. Reunion is the track I find myself listening to most since that night.
The Weakerthans
The Weakerthans are no more but they ruled the Canadian music scene in the mid nineties. I know, that doesn’t really imply much talent, but hey Canada has given us some undeniable talent; Ryan Gosling, Bare Naked Ladies um I’m blanking on other right now but I digress. I found them when I picked up the story behind their Cat songs. The band wrote two songs from the perspective of one of the member’s cat. Plea from a Cat Named Virtue and the follow up Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure are strangely sincere and drew me in. And I recommend you seek out some of their nonfeline related music, the Reunion Tour stuff to start. Left and Leaving is a well phrased end of the line relationship song.
Esperanza Spalding
And finally Miss Esperanza Spalding. I saw her at the First Annual Root Picnic on Festival Pier this summer. The day was freakishly hot (topped out at 102) but my concert going crew were hardcore and we hung in there for the majority of the day. The line up was great DJ Jazzy Jeff (who is SO MUCH MORE than a reoccurring character on Fresh Prince of Bel Aire and if you don’t know why do some readin about the history of hip hop/DJ’s in Philly NOW), Gnarls Barkley, Deerhoof, Cool Kids and of course the Roots. But Esperanza Spalding stole my heart.
There was a time when I had lofty aspirations to make the stand up bass sexy while legitimately funky. I quickly realized that I was not going to be the person to carry that message to the masses but when I saw Esperanza’s set I knew she was just that person. She played that bass like it was her dance partner and sang like she was channeling some late greats. She is the exception to this list in that her entire album is excellent from her Spanish take on Body & Soul to the strong lady ballad Precious. See her if you get the opportunity but for now enjoy…
I find that some moments, occasionally entire days, require a bit of a mantra to get me through. Considering that there are rarely time when I am not listening to music mantras tend to come in song form. As of late these are a few tunes that have popped into my head during those times.
Stability is a truly admirable goal but one that I unhitched my cart from long ago. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. The adventures and experiences I have had in its absence have taught me many things. Ms. Schwartz sums one of those lessons up quite nicely.
Lucy Schwartz
I Don’t Know A Thing
Its catchy and witty so it tucks neatly into my thoughts many times a day.
Blanketarms
Eff That Ess
I frequently find myself in totally curious situations with interesting characters in strange places. More often than not it leads to some new friends or great fodder for later conversation but there have been a couple of nights were this song is spinning tween my ears on my bike ride home.
Team Genius
Take Me Home
I’m wired for busy. I thrive off of having a variety of projects and tasks to divide up my day. I like to think I do a pretty good job harnessing my ADD and channeling it towards productive ends. But I do admit that there are moments when I feel like I can’t slow down. Yarn [a fabulous little bluegrassy/ countryish group out of Brooklyn, of course] gets it.
Yarn
Can’t Slow Down
The chorus of this one says it all cause, dagnabbit, I will make it through this year alive! Right?
The Mountain Goats
This Year (live)
Want more of these artists…
Whew what a week. I had hoped to get this done earlier but insanity prevailed and I was tucked away in my little world of work and well work. The good news is that I made my deadline but today has been a hazy one speckled with clutzyness and exhaustion.
But I have managed to figure out how to post some songs. Which I actually wasn’t expecting to accomplish so I don’t even have a great playlist lined up. Instead of forcing it I’m going to keep it simple and start at the beginning.
For as long as I can remember my life has had a soundtrack. Dire Straights playing whenever we drove Going To The Sun road in Glacier, singing Let The Rest Of The World Go By with the whole fam piled in bed together at Gundersons on Lake Superior, making up dances to NKTOB with my sisters, the hepcat phase listening to ska and watching Empire Records, phollowing Phish phor a long time, playing the 1812 Overature while trying to keep my fellow bassists from fucking around, doing the electric slide on the deck in Spooner, dancing to PYT at Wilde House, rockin out to Queen and Tribe Called Quest at 3am during the bake off in my pastry chef days, the mix my mom made for me to listen to when I drove to Philly to explore what life had to offer here. This list could go on forever, seriously. Which bring me to why I have decided to try my hand at this music blog thing.
In the past I have made mixes of what I have been listening to both new and old during the year and distributing them to friends and family. Often the music carries a tinge of the events of the year and for those that know me (ie anyone reading this blog at this point) the events of the last few years have been crazy, intense at times fabulously silly at others, and changing all the time. I have learned to embrace inconsistancy and make the most of what life has to offer me and what I have to it. And true to form the music I have been listening to is intense at times and fabulously silly at others. I find myself wanting to share what I am listening to more than just once a year and with anyone who tosses interest my way. So in the spirit of journaling via soundtrack The World In A Paper Cup is born.
Today’s mission was to write the first entry. Tomorrow…. I will try to figure out how to embed an mp3 player.