The Bird & The Bee

I've been quite fond of The Bird & The Bee for quite a while and I thought that it would be fun to share it with you! Inara George (the "bird") and Greg Kurstin (the "bee") are from L.A., and Greg has had the opportunity to work with Lily Allen, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Flaming Lips, and Britney Spears, among others! The music is different from any of my other music and is put together really well. Inara has a great voice, and combined with an interesting mix of synthetic and traditional sounds, the final sound is awesome. I bought Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future in Duluth at the Electric Fetus after seeing it on a special display and deciding to give it a try, which turned out to be a really good decision :)

Here are two of my favorite songs:

Birthday

Love Letter To Japan

I hope you enjoy The Bird & The Bee as much as I do!

Blonde Redhead's album *23*

So this is definitely off of the track of discussing recently released music, but Jeph Jacques released his list of albums worth listening to from 2010 and I got sidetracked into looking up music which led me to the wikipedia page on noise pop. (if you're wondering, Jeph is the author of the formerly music-centric [at this point it's just a soap opera] webcomic titled "Questionable Content")

This made me remember that I hadn't listened to one of the few bands that I have that fits that category -- Blonde Redhead. It's worth noting that this album has a more ambient sound than much of the music on Jacques' list of recommendations [in particular, wikipedia places the album in the genre of "dream pop"], but it has a certain appeal: most likely I would listen to it as a more cathartic album ("Silently" has a happy-kitsch feel, and some of the others include slight tension), but there are other appealing aspects that could be discussed, also.

I could say a little more, but I'll recommend my favorite songs and let you make up your mind.
My favorite song is definitely "Silently." Two others that you must give a listen: "23" and "Dr. Strangeluv."
(I really wish I could say more about the relationship between Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove and the song, but if you know more, please comment!)

Blitzen Trapper: Live at the Aquarium & "Destroyer of the Void"

Enough of this silence.





A couple cell phone pics for you who missed last Sunday's performance. Portland's Dylan-esque indie folk group, Blitzen Trapper, is on tour now promoting their new album, "Destroyer of the Void" (out today!). If you're not in Fargo, make sure you catch them in your town later this summer.

The band likely owes much of its popularity to its lead, Eric Earley, whose voice, song-writing, and knack for story-telling have placed the band ahead of the rest with songs like "Furr" and "Black River Killer" just to name a couple. The concert demonstrated this well, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy the show. They played a nice mix of their new stuff and the songs you should already love off their older albums. If you don't know them, here's a taste:

"Heaven and Earth" (off "Destroyer of the Void")
"Not Your Lover (off "Furr")

Head on over to NPR to read more or to stream all of "Destroyer of the Void" for free! Check 'em out!

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (CYHSY)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is an indie group based in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. This is their debut album, self-released and promoted primarily via their blogging buzz in 2005. The band consists of Alec Ounsworth, guitar and vocals; Robbie Guertin, guitar keyboard and vocals; Lee Sargent, guitar, keyboard and vocals; Tyler Sargent, bass and vocals; and Sean Greenhalgh, drums and percussion.

The vocals are different than anything else I've heard, bordering along the lines of David Byrne. However, the catchy, clever lyrics make up for the unusual sound of Alec Ounsworth's voice.

One of the most memorable songs is "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth." The vocals are peculiar and take a little getting used to, but the juxtaposition of the instrumentation with the vocals is fascinating. The bass line is straight from a Modest Mouse progression, but the music is enjoyable regardless.

"Sunshine and Clouds" is an awesome, short, instrumental excerpt that includes myriad percussive instruments layered upon one another, leading into another fabulous song - "Details of the War." The song fashions the shimmering acoustics and resonance of the guitar with a synth and harmonica.

Enjoy!

The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth

Details of the War

Choir Invisible (2006) The Deaths

The Deaths are a Fargo local band. They were mentioned in the May 2005 issue of SPIN (pictured). They also performed at SXSW in 2006 and 2007


Choir Invisible first came out in 2005 and was re-released to a wider audience in July 2006. I bought this album last year on a whim from Orange Records.

(Shameless free plug: If you're in Fargo, and looking for new music, especially local stuff, I know that Orange Records has a pretty good selection. Go check them out.)

The songs that I find to be especially good on this album are "Birmingham" and "Go Slow," both of which I have on this page. Of the adjectives I've seen attributed to The Deaths, I think that minimalist and Brit pop sum it up best for me. This is one of those albums that makes me want to buy the next one just to see where they take their music. (Conveniently, they have a newer album out, "Centralia," which was released in 2008.)

If you'd like to learn more about The Deaths, visit their website. Until then, enjoy the songs provided!

Birmingham - The Deaths

Go Slow - The Deaths

Honeysuckle Weeks (2008) The Submarines

I discovered the Submarines through Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist (it has a lot of other good music too, including Bishop Allen, live!). and I enjoy them a lot. They're surprisingly more well-known than I originally thought, and have heard them in random places like the at mall and in commercials... Below are two of my favorite songs, Xavia and Swimming Pool.

"Xavia" - The Submarines

"Swimming Pool" - The Submarines

Have fun!

A Strange Arrangement (2009) Mayer Hawthorne

For anyone who has even a mild appreciation for soul music, this album is wonderful. I've posted a couple of my favorite tracks below. "Love Is Alright" was on a previously released single. "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'" is on the album. If you like either (or both), I would highly recommend getting a copy of A Strange Arrangement for yourself as soon as possible.

"Love Is Alright" - Mayer Hawthorne

"Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'" - Mayer Hawthorne

Enjoy!