Thursday, April 30, 2009

I'm just doing what I'm told

"All of us has one....You know one of those songs that it just doesn't matter how many times you hear it, it just never ever gets old."

If you had asked this a couple weeks ago I would have put some OMD and CCR on here but since we've been there and done that I'll throw this down. Both of these are from my two favorite groups of all time. Back when music was everything to me. I saved up $600 dollars as an freshman in High School to buy a Sony 6 disc stereo and then plunked down another $200 for more speakers for my room and that was hella mad money back in the day for a poor white kid with 7 brothers and sisters. Heck, I woulda passed on just about anything to just sit in my room and listen to music. And had these two bad boys on Shuffle/Repeat. I actually wanted to put something from "Crackers International", an Erasure EP, but I couldn't find anything on the net from that album so you have to settle for my second..





Y'all know my mixed feelings about Depeche Mode but when I was 15 my loyalty was unwavering. And I still think "Speak & Spell", "A Broken Frame" and "Construction Time Again" are three of the greatest albums of all time.




If you get bored, google
"Green Shirt" Elvis Costello
"How to be Dumb" Elvis Costello



Here are my pics...

"All of us has one....You know one of those songs that it just doesn't matter how many times you hear it, it just never ever gets old."

Actually I have several. I love music. Gingie told me that I had to post my two top picks only though.... So natually I'm gonna post 3... (when have you ever known me to be obedient?)


The first I love because it's just freaking beautiful.

End of story.







This one's well over 20 years old.... I STILL cannot keep my feet still when I hear it. I remember doing a dance routine to it in dance class... I don't mind telling you -I was pretty hot stuff...








This is one of my all time favorites. I think I have heard it 20 million times. At least. You just don't mess with DM.


This is how I'm feeling today.....Ben Harper

Ladies and Gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, the bluesy folk croonings of Mr. Ben Harper.



I'm not all musical knowledge like cdahle and I don't have a bunch of clever coming of age stories like Chops, but I know how music makes me feel and that's why I love it. I hope that will be enough. Sometimes when you feel like no one could ever feel the way you are feeling at a particular moment a song will hit you and remind you that you are not alone. It can give you the hope to endure and the strength to suffer silently.


It can empower you to Walk Away.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Why do some of them just stay with you?

All of us has one....You know one of those songs that it just doesn't matter how many times you hear it, it just never ever gets old. I actually have two, and lucky for you I am going to post them both for you. The first takes me back to High School. I was never one who related well to girls. Most of my friends were guys, that's just how it was. Nothing dirty just pure friendship. This song reminds me of two of them. Dean Branch and David Lockett....this one is for you.



1992 people...seriously...you got old. But not the song...Still just as good as the first time. Even live.


And my number 2 pick... In my humble opinion, one of the funniest videos EVER! And Amber and C can attest to the fact that I love me some Foo!!



Alright....these are two songs that can never be played out...according to Ginger.

Don't you think the rest of my fellow bloggers should post there picks? Me too.

Some times life does things to you that will hurt you and confuse you......

My friend Quelly passed this onto me today. Uuugghh. I'm in love with this song. The more I listen, the more I love it. I wish I could have found the song without the movie clip because it taints your view of the song and how you personally interpret the lyrics.....but it's all I could find that wasn't a live version. Dang good stuff right here. Thanks Raquel.

Back Where You Belong - Sinead O'Connor

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

This one's for Chopsie.... His SECOND favorite band



Not just pretty faces...These guys have serious talent.

I'm talkin' mad skillz.





Ohhhh Yeah..... you know what's up, dawg.



Super Sonic Cinematic Spectaular....






I think Brandon just might be in trouble when it come to my heart.... these guys are soooooo awesome. And totally cute.




And have you seen the Bonus Jonas?????? Dude......

Song Around the World - Stand By Me

A friend passed this little diddly on to me this morning and it touched me. Thought I'd share it. I love soul. I love passion. Dang this is good stuff.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Manly Music Monday

After I was a loner and before I was the babe magnet I am today I was rebellious. It didn't last long. I didn't have the heart for it. Also, it took a lot more effort than I was willing to exert to be grumpy all the time. My music of choice was Public Image Limited. 





PIL was basically the remnants of The Sex Pistols. Well, not so much the remnants as just the spirit. And even that's kinda a stretch. Sex Pistols was all anger and anti establishment. John Lydon kept the anti establishment and added some pop, reggae and more than a touch of crazy. After the Sex Pistols fell apart he spent some time in Jamaica and came back with a penchant for white boy dreadlocks and a more conventional feel to his music. He hooked up with some guys he had toured/hung out with during the Pistols touring days and they started making music.







John struggled constantly to find an image for PIL and was consistently churning through band members but throughout it all he kept his own blend of rebellion mixed with optimism. And that is what I find endearing about PIL. If you read their lyrics without the music is seems pretty dark. But if you watch him perform live or even on his videos he is obviously pretty excited about being alive. I've seen him live a couple of times and to this day he sets the standard of a performer for me. He never sounded very good, he cant dance and he is hella homely. But I always stood a couple of rows back cause I was pretty sure he would have an aneurysm/stroke or just plain burst out of his skin at any moment. And that is why I will always love them. Because there is very little that is not improved with a just a touch of crazy.






Passion Pit-Sleepyhead

The Snap kids are in love with this song right now. They call it the chipmunk song. I just love the name Passion Pit.




Apparently the dude made this album for his girlfriend. Didn't think it would amount to much and voila! now he's famous. I don't know why that kind of junk doesn't ever happen to me. I have a fantastic chipmunk voice.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Goodbye My Almost Lover

I went on a date tonight with my friend Kerry. She bought my dinner and everything. But the best part of the night was sitting in my mini van listening to this great CD -A Fine Frenzy. I'm in love with a few songs on it as of NOW. Here's one you should check out.

Friday, April 24, 2009

This ones takes you back... House at Pooh Corner

All I need is my very best friend, some salty sea air and an old black Le Baron....

We would listen to this song over and over again- the night wind whipping through our hair- we would drive for hours on end. It was cool because gas was like $.94 and I always had cash from my lunch shifts at Fire and Ice. I am not lying when I say that this restaurant was so great that James Taylor requested that we close for him and his band when they came to town- I hate James Taylor- so I requested the night off... nevertheless... I digress... Where were we... oh yes, our BFF mixed tape. That was the best mixed tape ever! We spend hours on the song list. We chose very carefully....It had to be perfect.
We were, and still are musical soul mates (it's OK, Gingie- I spoke with Brandon, and he said he was willing to share me... but only with you)


This one's for Gingie... Because I love her. A lot.


Thursday, April 23, 2009

Thursday Throwback A-Ha

No one has done a throw back for a while and I was in the mood for a good 80's song this morning. So, here is one of my all time favorites. I wore my Hunting High and Low cassette tape straight through when I was in the 7th grade. Loved it!! Not just Take On Me....the whole damn thing. These men can do synthesized high notes like no other. I'm sorry I'm not posting Take On Me, but you can still hear that one on the radio if you really want to.




AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Such joy! *sigh* That's two in one week Chops. I am a content woman.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

I Know What They Want, And I Know They Don't Want Me to Stay

Wow. After that uhmmmm, music, I think we truly need a palette cleanser. My friends, behold the glory of the Manchester Orchestra. Hey, Jesse Lacey likes them, and Jesse Lacey does not like anybody -- except for Kevin Devine. And Manchester Orchestra is no Kevin Devine.

In the parlance of the kiddies, the Orchestra's second full album "drops" today. It's kind of a mixture of Brand New and Lynyrd Skynyrd, which makes sense because as the name clearly indicates the band is from Atlanta.

And before you hit the play button, please keep in mind that this post is dedicated to my one true love. No, not Star Trek. My hot wife who wanted to post this song. However, since I introduced her to it, and since she waited so long without posting it, I could no longer keep this ditty under wraps. So without further a due, enjoy a song about love, suicide, reconciliation, and a fat, sweaty guy in a bear suit.

Manchester Orchestra - "I've Got Friends"


(P.S. If you don't know who Jesse Lacey is, you really need to do some research. . .)

My new favorite song....

Ahhhhh.....Poor fat Jessica. I bet she had 4 Chicken Enchiladas, 2 pork tamales, beans, rice and a plate of chips and queso too, Chops. What part of the pork does the tamale come from?

Monday, April 20, 2009

Manly Music Monday

I almost didn't post this. It's been stewin for a while but it just doesn't seem right. Every time I pull up OMD on YouTube and it plays back on my little computer speaker it feels wrong and I end up shutting it down. OMD feels too big to fit on a 400x325 screen. Even their name, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, is huge, grandiose, important, deep. I don't even like watching their videos. I always pictured the music they made just coming off of their bodies like human synthesizers and it disappoints me to this day to realize it originates in silly little instruments. These guys were HUGE to me. I probably liked The Smithe, Depeche Mode and The Cure better. But OMD was important to me. Whenever I wanted to feel dark and dramatic as a kid I would pull out Architecture and Morality, turn out the lights and light a few candles. If there was a girl I really wanted to impress I would just copy a few lyrics off of "Secret" and sign my name. When I wanted to feel like a grown up I would put on Crush and feel naughty that I had an album that said "get laid" on it. No double entendre or anything, they just came right out and said it. I even bought their albums in vinyl. And then bought a record player. It just seemed more serious that way.













So after you listen to these two, do me a favor. Do whatever you need to do to get one of their songs on a decent stereo, cue up "Enola Gay, Electricity or Joan of Arc", crank it to 11 and pretend it's 1986 again.

The people at Apple have good taste is music....

It's just how it is. I am actually a little disappointed because I wanted to post this song a couple of months ago, but I just never got around to it. Now, it's all commercialized and people aren't going to appreciate it for the clever song that it is. It will always just be "that song from the nano commercial".

Anywho...I'm posting it now. Chairlift-Bruises.



And Cleo will be happy to know that this little trio from Brooklyn will be doing a few shows with The Killers. Basically, we have to mention The Killers in every post we make if we want Cleo to give any credit to the band. Because if they are good enough for Brandon, then they are good enough for her.

Do you still love me Chops?

Just a little post to clear the air.



You know I love you more than my luggage. Granted it's 10 years old and came from JCPenney, but the sentiment is still the same.


(Disclaimer: I am in no way attracted to Chops, nor do I want him to think I'm sexy. This was all in pure fun. I heart Scottish people!)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

"But When The Sun Shines Again, I'll Pull The Curtains And Blinds To Let The Light In"

I love Death Cab for Cutie -One of my favorite bands. It took a while for these guys to grow on me, but I find them to be extremely deep in their lyrical writing....that usually hooks me. I love metaphors. Sometimes I wonder if these guys are just a phase, do I love them so much because I relate to so many of their songs? Aye yie yie. I'm not sure. Here is a favorite song of mine. I think this is the one that hooked me....now I'm in love with the album Narrow Stairs. Ok, I'm in love with Plans too.



My favorite part of this song (well, OK, I'm lying, I have a few favorite parts) is when he says:

"I Wish We Could Open Our Eyes
To See In All Directions At The Same Time
Oh, What A Beautiful View
If You Were Never Aware Of What Was Around You
And It Is True What You Say
That I Live Like A Hermit In My Own Head
But When The Sun Shines Again
I'll Pull The Curtains And Blinds To Let The Light In"

I am always pulled or drawn to songs that reference light, or sun or hope. Anyhow, I love this song for lots of reasons....it represents many different things to me. I suppose that is the beauty of music though, -interpreting through your own eyes, along with your experiences and even your optimism or pessimism really. This little diddly is fantastic. I'm afraid it's leading me to a Death Cab obsessive week.

Here's a little ditty to make you smile...

Friday, April 17, 2009

I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad.......

Allow me for a moment to depress your asses. I've been hauled up in my damn bedroom all week while you all are wrapped up in your blissful foolery. I'm not normally opposed to fun, but since I'm not having any, you'll have to suffer a bit of misery with me. Enter: Mad World by Gary Jules. Excellent remake I must say, and eerily beautiful.

Let me tell you what I love so much about music. I love that at any moment, no matter what you're feeling, -happy, sad, lonely, hopeless - whatever the emotion, you can visualize yourself peeling your chest open, and exposing your soul or heart, or where ever these emotions are coming from, and there is a song playing. There is music coming out. Music is emotion, music is feeling. I love that. I love that other people feel what I feel and they put words, feeling words, to music so I can release this pressure or tension that is trapped deep inside of me. It seems freeing almost, to have someone else make art out of your emotions? No? Someone has hit the nail on the head. They've evoked my deepest passions, or wishes or wants. They've described my demons or secret desires. They've filled me with the spirit, or inspired me to a new stature. They've made me love or hate. They've induced euphoria. It changes constantly, -what we feel, and music somehow captures us in each moment we live out, -each thought, or disturbance or thrill or sorrow or despair or melancholy. It progresses us in some way. Music leaves us feeling fulfilled. When no one else understands you, you can understand yourself through the power of song. -Some lyrical genius just took what's in your soul and set it to a nice diddly so you can work through your damn issues. Shooot. Tell me that isn't brilliant?

Now carry on with your bantering. Perhaps I'll be back next week with something that ought to get your toes tapping...maybe even a bit more screamo if you're real good. Seriously, don't say you don't love me. Dang.


To Our new friend- The Captain. We salute You. A lot.

Prepare to be drop kicked...

in your ugly ass bald head!!!!!!!! I know you didn't disrespect Gary. Or Bono... Maybe you haven't heard of him...




My Bloody Valentine....



Or the Edge...Have you heard of him?



Mellow Drops



Or Adam Clayton...Let me introduce you...



Van Morrison



And I can't forget my bud Larry Mullen Jr. You two should go out to the pub and get to know each other.



Ash



No matter how you slice your haggis... Ireland will always kick Scotlands Ass because of this....



Oh Yeah....And I am proficient in the Scottish form of martial arts that consists mainly of grunting and head butting...Do you know what it's called? You better be scared cuz I'll shove those chops so far down your throat you'll be coughing up hairballs for a month.

Why Ireland is craptacular compared to Scotland

First off, the accent. This dude is homely as hell but you get the point. Irelands got nothin.



Then right to the music. The Proclaimers. Best. Duo. Of. All. Time. (consisting of brothers with glasses from non American countrys) And if you disagree with me I will fight you. That is no lie. Roundhouse to the trachea, dont test.






Heard of Franz Ferdinand? Oh yeah, THEY KICK ASS!



And one more, just to put a nail in your Irish loving coffin, Belle and Sebastian.



Irelands got nothin.

Cept U2, they do kinda rock...

My shout out to Irish Folks.....

So lately it has come to my attention that well...I like Irish people...especially the men folk. It all started when I was about 4 years old and had my very first ever bowl of Lucky Charms. Lucky and my eyes met and I have never been the same. They were, indeed, magically delicious. And basically I've been hooked ever since. I'm sure it's the accent. I'm a sucker for a sweet Irish accent. What really pushes me over the edge is the way Gary Lightbody makes the "er" sound. As in "the broken radiat..or" or "mapped by my intrepid fing..ers". Yep...Squish in the stomach, never fails.

Anyway...the point of this post is to give props to some of my favorite Irish bands. Now, don't get all upset if your favorite isn't here, maybe next time.

First up...of course...my Gary.



This one is for my mom who loves her some Bob Geldof...



And for the poppy boy band lovers...Westlife



And of course, the most popular group to come out of Ireland, U2..



Okay..so there's a little sampling of my peeps. A few more who deserve some mention...The Chieftans, Thin Lizzy, The Frames, The Cranberries, The Corrs, Enya, Van Morrison, My Bloody Valentine, Ash and Damien Rice.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Marty Casey and the Snark Girls

First off, I gotta hand it to the ladies over at http://snarkgirls.com/ who have been vigilant in standing up for their man, and for hunting down my obscure post on our obscure little blog. I'm gonna move my comments from my previous post over here to stand out a little more. Cause it was some fine writin and that's how I roll.

Ok, Anonymous, you have given me leave to unleash my feelings about Marty. 

I lived France for a couple of years and my favorite thing to eat was "Pain o'chocolate" Its basically a croissant with dark chocolate melted inside. It was F A N T A S T I C. I ate it every chance I got. When I finally got back to the states I went and found a place that made it. I bought a bunch and took it to a friends house and we all ate it. And I was completely disappointed. All my friends said it was good but it wasn't. It wasn't like I remembered. It wasn't bad.. it just wasn't spectacular. And the memory WAS spectacular. I tried and tried to find someplace that made it the same and never succeeded.

When Marty was on RockStar he had an urgency and power that stunned me. I was glad he lost cause I didn't want him to get saddled with the deflating balloon that was INXS. And I waited excitedly for him to release his first single. And then it came out. And it wasn't the same. It was good, mind you. But it wasn't spectacular. And my memory of him was. So I continue to wait. I have heard all songs on his website. And I like them. But I would never buy his album. I don't know what he is doing different. Maybe its just he doesn't record well. I would go see him live in a heartbeat. And there is still a special place in my heart for the dude. I just wish whatever was stirring in him during that stupid reality show would wake back up.


The folks over at SnarkGirls seem to think its stupid to try and compare live performances and recording. What? I understand forums and comment boards tend to bring out the worst in folks, but that's what we do here... we compare music. Different artist, venues, genres, styles.. all of it. I LOVE some artists live that I cant stand recorded and vice versa. I've gone to see Depeche Mode live several times and been disappointed every time. Ask Cleo, I wont shut up about it. And Mary is just the opposite, I was flabbergasted by his talent every time saw him on RockStar and have so far really been disappointed by all of his studio work. 
 
Also, apparently to "true" Marty fans, liking Trees is akin to heresy. Who knew? That song still gives me chills every time I hear it. You may hate it but does that make me stupid for liking it? Anywho.. I'm glad somewhere out there Marty still has some real fans. The dude has talent and I'm happy he is still alive and making music. 






Tell me which one you like better...


And this is for Ginger, cause she asked nicely.



Unholy Alliance: The Killers’ Brandon Flowers & Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan. I think I have died and gone to Heaven... Twice.

Unholy Alliance: The Killers’ Brandon Flowers & Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan
By Ken Scrudato
April 14, 2009




Depeche Mode makes self-destruction sound like falling through the clouds. One needs only revisit the morbid, deviant pleasures of “Master and Servant,” “Fly on the Windscreen,” “Blasphemous Rumours” or “Barrel of a Gun” for a glimpse into the harrowing worldviews of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher, who have spun a penchant for both futurism and perversion into sales of more than 90 million. Gahan & Co. have spent a career crafting a theater of cruelty for the masses, and if the masses didn’t always quite grasp the concepts—like, why does Gore always seem to be on stage in quasi-bondage gear?—they were lured by the colossal hooks and the seething sexuality, and they devoured it all like piranhas.

The Killers, looming large among Depeche Mode’s numerous acolytes, are a peculiar case. Since rocketing to fame with their explosive 2004 debut Hot Fuss, they’ve craftily mated the outré glitz of Duran Duran with the visceral earnestness of U2, all the while reaching for nothing short of the megastardom of both those bands.


Adorable and grandiose, Killers frontman Brandon Flowers maintains a contradiction that matches any to which Depeche Mode can lay claim: he is a resolute Mormon, a religion not exactly known for turning out glamorous rock ’n’ rollers. Gahan’s only significant rival in the rock-star-as-Christ-figure stakes is probably Bono. But while Dublin’s finest unwaveringly professes his faith in the only Son of God, Gahan, especially in the lyrics to the deliciously blaspheming “Personal Jesus” (“Someone to hear your prayers / Someone who cares”), has offered himself up as an earthly substitute, a heresy you surely won’t find any of his worshipping public objecting to, no matter their religious affiliations.

Appropriately, Gahan nearly saw to his own heroin-fueled crucifixion back in the 1990's and literally rose from the dead in the back of a Los Angeles ambulance. Flowers, for all his cockiness and swagger, has been a model of responsible behavior. At just 27 years of age, he’s happily married and a father (he doesn’t go anywhere near drugs, as you might have guessed).

Both bands are brandishing new records. The Killers’ third, Day & Age, was released last November to critical acclaim. With its stylistic ambition, sweeping atmospherics and grand lyrical gestures (Brandon took some heat for awkward philosophizing—“Are we human / Or are we dancer”—on the otherwise resplendently majestic hit single “Human”), the Killers sound like a band just a few rungs from superstardom.

The members of Depeche Mode, on the other hand, have dispensed with the rulebook. Virtually nothing on the enthralling new Sounds of the Universe relies on recycling their past. The thundering rhythms and industrial fervor of “Hole To Feed” come across like the soundtrack to some futuristic cannibal ritual; “Little Soul” appears almost like a gospel tune lost inside of a nightmare dreamscape; “In Sympathy” is what Kraftwerk might sound like if they’d stop all the calculating and get a little sleazy. Gahan’s singing increasingly exhibits a raw, bluesy sexuality, and is perhaps more fiery and captivating than ever. Meeting up with BlackBook on a recent winter evening, Gahan was his usual charming and charismatic self, while Brandon, accompanied by Killers guitarist Dave Keuning, was, understandably, a little starstruck.

Depeche Mode were very much outsiders in the beginning. But the Killers found fame almost instantly. Brandon, how has fame affected the band, personally and artistically?

BRANDON FLOWERS: I’m still struggling to identify any effects. I feel exactly the same. Maybe because it happened so quickly for us, I haven’t had much time to understand it. It’s all about just putting out our next record. We’ve got the fire burning, and we just go with it.

DAVE GAHAN: In the beginning, it was really about doing the work, and the rest had been thrust upon us. I certainly ran with it and had some fun… and then didn’t, really. Being a rock star, playing that game, was fun for a couple of years out in Los Angeles. But after a while, being the celebrity sitting in the corner of the club wore a little thin. I live in New York now, where I walk around and don’t really get bothered. I like it here. My day is pretty normal. That whole idea of fame being something that’s going to fulfill you… I just don’t get that.

Brandon, how have you been influenced by Depeche Mode?

BF: Before I ever thought of myself as a musician, I was personally affected by Depeche Mode. Some Great Reward and Songs of Faith and Devotion shaped me as an individual before I even wrote a song. So they mean a lot to me… [laughs]. God, this is surreal.

It’s interesting that you bring up Songs of Faith and Devotion. I’ve always seen Depeche Mode’s work as being about exploring guilt, perversity and sexuality as a reaction to society’s ideas about religion and morality.

DG: The three subjects that you mentioned and that Depeche Mode write about are the keys to wanting to be a part of something, and wanting to be able to be intimate, and ultimately having some sense of peace within yourself. For me, I can’t get that from somebody or something else. You have to feel it within, that there’s something that the universe is offering; but we often seem unable to grasp it.

Brandon, there also seems to be a search for moral and spiritual grounding in your songs.

BF: It’s been a constant struggle for me. Growing up in Las Vegas really prepared me for this. There’s so much that goes on there that is taboo everywhere else, and it finds its way into our songs. I’m trying to come to terms with the reality that I’m a believer, and I’m getting more comfortable with it as I get older. Sometimes it’s a weird contradiction with what I do, I know.

DG: Not really. It takes a lot of courage nowadays to actually come out and say that. I think we all want to believe in something.

The lyrics to the songs “Kingdom” and “Miracles” on your solo record Hourglass deal directly with the struggles of being a non-believer.

DG: Yeah, it’s a constant search for hope and faith that there is a higher power that has a better eye on things—because, obviously, we’re not doing a very good job of it.




Well, the Killers’ “Are we human?” is a big, poignant, existential question.

DG: Through music, you’re able to express that, whether lyrically or atmospherically. I hear it in the landscape of the Killers’ songs; I can hear the search.

I think it was Wagner who said that if you want to find God, look for Him in music.

BF: They say that making your own music can be the closest thing to a religious experience. When I do go to church, the hymns are what always suck me in. I can be having a day of doubt, but as soon as I hear the right gospel song, it’s over. There’s no more doubt.

Dave, you were a part of destroying everything that the music industry had become comfortable with. It was punk, it was electronic music and the bands did it. Now, technology is changing things for the bands, rather than the bands being in control of the revolution. How are you both dealing with it?

BF: I’m paranoid all the time because of YouTube [laughs]. But the great thing about technology is that it allows you to make an amazing sounding record in your kitchen.

You could argue that Daniel Miller took the first step down that road. He said that a guy, alone with his synthesizer, was the most punk thing ever. And he made this incredible club hit, “Warm Leatherette,” as the Normal, with just himself and his machine.

DG: Yeah, that was pretty radical at the time. We had that as our template for the kind of music we wanted to make. Coming out of punk, we knew we weren’t going to blag our way through guitar, bass and drums. But we could just plug our three synthesizers into a PA, and we could play all these little clubs in London. At the time, it was not considered “real” music.

Brandon, you’ve derided the lack of ambition from the general music culture, and with the latest Killers record, you seem to be reaching for grandiosity. U2 had The Unforgettable Fire and Depeche Mode came out with Music for the Masses. Are you consciously preparing for that next step?

BF: Well, in talking about all the blandness, I think it’s a fear of just going for it. All the bands I grew up listening to, they went for it. Now, we’re finally feeling comfortable enough, and we’re not going to be afraid of it.

DG: That’s right. You have to go out there and embrace it. We just made another record that was produced by Ben Hillier, and he said to me that he’s never worked with a vocalist who works as hard as I do. But a lot of discipline goes into maintaining any kind of ongoing success and ongoing growth. It’s not something you just pull out of the air. You have to believe in what you’re doing.

What do you want to give people with your music?

BF: There’s never been a song that we put out that I don’t want to sing. It’s inevitable that someone else is going to feel that same feeling that I have, that transcendence. For instance, no matter how dark a Depeche Mode song might be, there was always something uplifting about it.

DG: I’ve never quite understood why people think our music is so depressing. We’re making music that relates to life. I could be singing about hiding away within myself, but the music takes you to a higher place. It’s that human contradiction. There is a lot of black comedy in our music that I don’t think people really get.

BF: The last song on Black Celebration, “But Not Tonight”… [sighs heavily in adoration]. The line, “My eyes have been so red I’ve been mistaken for dead / But not tonight.” Those are the moments I’m talking about—in all the dark, there’s optimism.

DG: That’s life, and it’s why people relate to it.

The Bird and The Bee

Check out this little duo from Los Angeles. Greg Kurstin, the bee, and Inara George, the bird. I think you may find it pretty damn good. But that's just me.


Love Letter To Japan



Name that tune...



That's right....You've never heard Rhianna quite like that.



And last but not least...Come as You Were...



So...I hope you enjoyed my little display of musical prowess. Tell all your friends. Make them buy the albums so these guys can afford to make more.

All Star Jamz- Kanye, Jared & B-Flow gettin' jiggy...

"I WAS WORKING ON THIS DOPE ASS SONG WITH JARED AND BRANDON STOPPED BY. I PLAYED THEM SOME OF THE NEW JEEZY BEATS AND BEFORE EVERYBODY BOUNCED BRANDON HOPPED ON THE KEYBOARD AND I HOPPED ON THE MPC. SHIT WAS DOPE. OH AND YES THOSE ARE SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS ON BRANDON'S SHIRT BY DRIES VAN NOTEN."
-Kanye West
04.14.2009



Found this on Kanye's blog and thought I'd share. I must admit that I've heard of Jared's band "30 Seconds From Mars", but I couldn't tell you even one song that they sing...

Who knows whether they'll release the result of little eclectic impromptu jam session- but I for one would love to hear it.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Going along minding my own business....

when WHAM! I found this version and OH! MY! GOSH! I immediately made Mr. Snaps download the CD. I am in LLLLOOOVVVEEE with this song. I can't say it enough.

Marty Casey.. before he jumped the shark

Remember the reality show Rock Star? It was INXS' attempt to revive their bands career by finding a new lead singer. Marty Casey was the 2ND runner up and he had to come up with an original composition for the final round. He lost... but this is my favorite song from reality TV,  matched only by Kris Allen last night






I still get goose bumps. Too bad he went downhill from here.....



ONCE-FALLING SLOWLY

Kris Allen sang this song on American Idol and I am officially in love with it. It is just a super sweet little song. I hope you like it.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Manly Music Monday

You are going to take this wrong. I know this from experience. Way. WAY too many experiences. You'd think I would have learned by now to keep my opinions to myself. Especially when I know they will not be received in the spirit in which they were intended. You'd think so, but you'd be wrong. I continue to tell Mrs Chops that her pants make her butt look big. I also tell her right as we pull up to Church her rouge appears to have been applied rather haphazardly. I do this just because that's how I roll. My life would be ever so simpler if I didn't but I do and here we are. So just know that I don't take offense at you taking offense, it is expected.



Pandora has been forcing The Flaming Lips on me for months on end. I keep telling it I don't like them, but then a couple hours later it say "I know you didnt like that last one, but I REALLY think you will enjoy this little gem, just give it a shot." And since Pandora and I have such a good relationship and it has been so good to me in the past I will listen and give a big thumbs down. Until it gave me this. 







The tune was intresting enough that I let it pass for a few times. And then it grew on me. Something about the lyrics kept chewing on that little piece of skin in the back of my brain. After a couple of weeks of playing in the background I got curious enough to google the lyrics while I was at work and something coalesced.

The name is Yoshimi
she's a black belt in karate
working for the city
she has to discipline her body

'Cause she knows that
it's demanding
to defeat those evil machines
I know she can beat them

Oh Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots eat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots defeat me

Those evil-natured robots
they're programmed to destroy us
she's gotta be strong to fight them
so she's taking lots of vitamins

'Cause she knows that
it'd be tragic
if those evil robots win
I know she can beat them

Oh Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots defeat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots eat me
 

I have a lot of Yoshimis in my life. Brave, strong, women who battle day in and day out to defend me and the general populace from the evils that would tear us all to pieces if they ever let down their guard. I get to go to work every day and putter along in the blissful ignorance of the working man. While my Yoshimis struggle constantly to keep the robots at bay. I may not see all the robots you fight off, but I've seen the scars from the battles you fight. And if sometimes the fight wears you out, I'm sorry. I'll do my best to fend em off while you take a well deserved bubble bath. 


Oh, and Pandora, I apologize. I'll listen more often from now on. 

Saturday, April 11, 2009

What do you think about this one? The Killers cover "Four Winds" by Bright Eyes Cleo's Pick o' the week

I hesitated to post this because I knew that Chopsie would complain because it's
---INSERT WHINEY TONE HERE----
THE KILLERS.
But we all know that when it comes to the fabulous Mr. Flowers and Co.
Mr. McChops-alot is just a jealous mess...
I can't help myself. I love this song.
I love The Killers.
All of them.
A lot.

Some say this song is really controversial, but I think it rings true... I wanna know what you think. I am of the opinion that this cover is, dare I say, better than the original... Here are the lyrics for your perusal.

Your class, your caste, your country, sect, your name or
your tribe
There's people always dying trying to keep them alive
There's bodies decomposing in containers tonight
In an abandoned building where

Squatters made a mural of a mexican girl
With fifteen cans of spray paint in a chemical swirl
She's standing in the ashes at the end of the world
Four winds blowing through her hair

But when great Satan's gone... the whore of Babylon...
She just can't sustain the pressure where it's placed
She caves, she caves

The Bible's blind, the Torah's deaf, the Qu'ran is mute.
If you burned them all together you'd get close to the truth
Still they're pouring over Sanskrit on the Ivy League moons
While shadows lengthen in the sun

Cast all the school and meditation built to soften the times
And hold us at the center while the spiral unwinds
It's knocking over fences, crossing property lines
Four winds cry until it comes

And it's the sum of man slouching towards Bethlehem
A heart just can't contain all of that empty space
It breaks, it breaks, it breaks

Well, I went back, I rent a Cadillac and company jet
Like a newly orphaned refugee retracing my steps
All the way to Cassadaga to commune with the dead
They said, "you'd better look alive"

And I was off to old Dakota where a genocide sleeps
In the black hills, the badlands, the calloused east
I buried my ballast, I made my peace
With four winds leveling the pines

But when great Satan's gone, the whore of Babylon
She just can't remain with all that outer space
She breaks, she breaks, she caves, she caves
She breaks
You'd better look alive

Friday, April 10, 2009

Gingers pick of the week.....Lily Alan again.

Okay, so basically she's friggin' awesome. And this song is hilarious and my new theme song. In case you were wondering, this is not why I have anger issues.



Oh he treats me with respect,
He says he loves me all the time,
He calls me 15 times a day,
He likes to make sure that I'm fine,
You know I've never met a man,
Whose made me feel quite so secure,
He's not like all them other boys,
They're all so dumb and immature.

There's just one thing,
That's getting in the way,
When we go up to bed your just no good,
Its such a shame,
I look into your eyes,
I want to get to know you,
And then you make this noise,
And apparently its all over.

Its not fair,
And I think your really mean,
I think your really mean,
I think your really mean.

Oh your supposed to care,
But you never make me scream,
You never make me scream.

Oh it's not fair,
And it's really not OK,
It's really not OK,
It's really not OK.

Oh your supposed to care,
But all you do is take,
Yeah all you do is take.

Oh I lie here in the wet patch,
In the middle of the bed,
I'm feeling pretty damn hard done by,
I spent ages giving head.

Then I remember all the nice things,
That you ever said to me,
Maybe I'm just over reacting,
Maybe your the one for me.

There's just one thing,
That's getting in the way,
When we go up to bed your just no good,
Its such a shame,
I look into your eyes,
I want to get to know you,
And then you make this noise,
And apparently its all over.

Its not fair,
And I think your really mean,
I think your really mean,
I think your really mean.

Oh your supposed to care,
But you never make me scream,
You never make me scream.

Oh it's not fair,
And it's really not OK,
It's really not OK,
It's really not OK.

Oh your supposed to care,
But all you do is take,
Yeah all you do is take.

There's just one thing,
That's getting in the way,
When we go up to bed your just no good,
Its such a shame.
I look into your eyes,
I want to get to know you,
And then you make this noise,
And apparently its all over.

Its not fair,
And I think your really mean,
I think your really mean,
I think your really mean.

Oh your supposed to care,
But you never make me scream,
You never make me scream.

Oh it's not fair,
And it's really not OK,
It's really not OK,
It's really not OK.

Oh your supposed to care,
But all you do is take,
Yeah all you do is take.

This is how I'm feeling today....Not for the faint of heart.

Seriously people....If you have issues with excessive profanity....You should not click play. Consider yourself warned.




So, I've been vacillating between anger and hurt the last couple of weeks. I prefer anger....it feels stronger. Hurt is just weak. Whenever I start to feel hurt, I listen to this and it pushes me squarely back into the angry category.

Monday, April 6, 2009

What is my life? What makes me?

For Chops.....

"Love, love, is a verb. Love is a doing word, feel the sunlight break." Basically, I heart House M.D. and he hearts me. This song, I LOVE, and it is in the opening credits to my favorite show EVER! Seriously...NOT as COOL as your previous post....but it's close. Plus it's one of those songs where you can put it on, lay on your back, look up and just..........think. Reflect, and then think some more. What is my life? What makes me? Am I living it the way I WANT to live it?

Ah...I leave you with one of my favorite and newly discovered life quotes from a book I've been reading. "Does not something in you stir a little, a yearning to live?" Are you stirring? Are you yearning? I'm yearning. Yep. I don't see the point of letting life pass you by, why do we let it slip through our fingers? Grab life by the arse and SQUEEZE! Gah!

"Don't ask youself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive!" - Gil Bailie.

It's time to come alive people. If you need to use Massive Attack -Tear Drop to get there, do it. Watch out, I may drop some Andain on you next week.....just to see if you're thinking enough! I'm crazy alright, but I'm no robot. And that's all I can ask of myself. DANG.

Mother of pearl. I gotta stop hitting "publish post" without proofing this stuff. That was some serious funk I just layed down. I cant let that be the top of the blog. Here. Enjoy some Fischerspooner. These guys are crazier than Amberd. Well.. maybe not. She's pretty loopy. But these guys are close. They make me want to do The Robot. But then I remember that I'm too white to do that and just end up doin the white boy shuffle. Maybe Amberd will come visit one day and teach me some real moves. I think Mrs Chops interest is beginning to wane....





Manly Music Monday

Yesterday I was having a great day. We went for a walk with the whole family. It was warm but there was a cool breeze blowing. The kiddos all picked wildflowers and chased frogs and turtles in the bayou. We got back and I went to get something from the Harry Potter closet and bumped my head. As I was reeling Scooter came and started telling me something. I yelled at her to "Shut up and go away!". She left crying. 



The other day I was playing with Mo. I was tickling him and he was laughing that free careless open mouth all in laugh that only little kids seem to really have. We played cars too and he was having such a good time. Then I told him it was time for bed and he threw a HUGE tantrum. He was screaming and screaming and I spanked his mouth. He stopped screaming and just looked at me like I was a monster.



Am I a terrible Dad for yelling at my kids and making them cry? Probably. Am I a great dad for taking long walks with them and playing cars for hours? I hope so. Which one is the one I "really" am? Am I really a big meanie that does some nice things to look good? Or am I really a good person with some (serious) flaws? 


Anywho, this is Conor Oberst. He released his first album when he was 13. Yeah, 13. My greatest accomplishment at 13 was that I had 2 nipple hairs. He is the front man for Bright Eyes as well as Desaparecidos and the The Mystic Valley Band. Which one is the real Conor? Heck if I know. But he makes great music. I'll take him anyway I can, even if that means I get some crazy mixed in with the sweet. 











For a real Schitzo treat hit play on all three at the same time.

Manly Music Monday

Yesterday I was having a great day. We went for a walk with the whole family. It was warm but there was a cool breeze blowing. The kiddos all picked wildflowers and chased frogs and turtles in the bayou. We got back and I went to get something from the Harry Potter closet and bumped my head. As I was reeling Scooter came and started telling me something. I yelled her to "Shut up and go away!". She left crying. 



The other day I was playing with Mo. I was tickling him and he was laughing that free careless open mouth all in laugh that only little kids seem to really have. We played cars too and he was having such a good time. Then I told him it was time for bed and he threw a HUGE tantrum. He was screaming and screaming and I spanked his mouth. He stopped screaming and just looked at me like I was a monster.



Am I a terrible Dad for yelling at my kids and making them cry? Probably. Am I a great dad for taking long walks with them and playing cars for hours? I hope so. Which one is the one I "really" am? Am I really a big meanie that does some nice things to look good? Or am I really a good person with some (serious) flaws? 


Anywho, this is Conor Oberst. He released his first album when he was 13. Yeah, 13. My greatest accomplishment at 13 was that I had 2 nipple hairs. He is the front man for Bright Eyes as well as Desaparecidos and the The Mystic Valley Band. Which one is the real Conor? Heck if I know. But he makes great music. I'll take him anyway I can.

 

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