I'm Bored...

and inspired. I just finished watching the Pixies documentary loudQUIETloud and now I wanna start a band! Any takers in the Atlanta area?

Anywho, yesterday I went and sold a bunch of my old unwanted CDs for some quick cash (I got $300, yay grocery money!) While I was browsing in the used CD store, I found The Juliana Hatfield Three's Become What You Are. This was my FAVORITE album when I was a little 13-year-old in Columbus, Georgia. I remember feeling like such a cool little shit because I would play it in the car with my mom and would have to turn it down every time Juliana said the F word, like I was keeping a secret...hehe. I've been listening to it nonstop, and miracle of miracles, not only do I remember EVERY single word and chord, I still love it just as much as I did then. I was so inspired by this album that I actually went to music school in Boston (where Juliana is from) and during the first month I was there, I saw her in concert and was in the front row singing all the words! So thank you, Juliana, for all the inspiration and awesome music!



For those of you who aren't familiar with her, you have no idea what you're missing! Her newest album, How to Walk Away, comes out on August 17th so you've got a chance to catch up. And for nostalgia's sake, here's the video for Juliana's song "My Sister," which was the first time I ever heard OR saw her. If you can get your hands on a copy of Become What You Are, I suggest you buy it and memorize all the lyrics. You'll be a much better person because of it.



Juliana's website

I've also been listening to a lot of Belly, Throwing Muses, The Breeders, Veruca Salt, Sleater-Kinney and Elastica these days. I think I'm regressing back into my girls-with-guitars mode which I was pretty much stuck in while in high school. But it's a great place to be. No matter how my musical tastes change over the years, I always ALWAYS get inspired and excited by seeing females truly rock out. I think I need to pick up my Fender Stratocaster and practice some...

Also, I'm sorry I haven't been updating so much. I find it hard to get motivated these days. Plus it seems like there's just TOO MUCH stuff I want to post about and I get a bit overwhelmed. I wish I could transform this blog into some completely badass music haven for all you Internet geeks. I'll see what I can do!

Yay Death Cab!

For those of you who haven't heard, Death Cab for Cutie's new album, Narrow Stairs, will debut at #1 on the Billboard charts this week! This is amazing news. I'm so proud of them, and they definitely deserve it. The new album is absolutely gorgeous and it's always reassuring to see talented musicians rule the charts instead of the usual pop trash that tends to reign supreme.

In honor of Death Cab's chart-topping coup, I feel they deserve a little tribute. So here's a cover of Death Cab for Cutie's "For What Reason," by Canada's best-kept musical secret, Emm Gryner. Enjoy!

mp3:
Emm Gryner - For What Reason (Death Cab for Cutie cover)

Emm Gryner's website
Emm Gryner's Myspace

More Swede love!

It just keeps getting better and better! Thanks to my lovely Swedish friend Patrick for recommending Amanda Jenssen to me. Sure, she was on Sweden's version of American Idol, but I'm willing to overlook that thanks to her powerhouse voice and undeniably catchy songs! If you love KT Tunstall, Feist, or Sara Bareilles, you'll definitely go nuts for this girl. Check out "Amarula Tree" below - but listener beware, it will be stuck in your head FOREVER.

mp3:
Amanda Jenssen - Amarula Tree

Catching Up

Hello all! I know it's been a week since I've posted anything, but it's been a bit crazy around here. First things first, last Thursday, May 8th, I finally got to see Radiohead live in concert! You all know they are my absolute FAVORITE band of all time and this was my first time seeing them, and of course, they were amazing. They played "Talk Show Host," which was just a complete blast from the past for me. It was definitely an experience to remember, and I had so much fun with all my lovely friends who were with me that night! Now, any ideas for a Radiohead tattoo? I'm considering it...

So you all probably know that the new Death Cab for Cutie album, Narrow Stairs, was released yesterday. Death Cab are one of those bands that I forget I like until I listen to them, and then I remember how they consistently blow me away and break my heart (in a good way). The new album is brilliant and beautiful, and I give them all the praise in the world for trying adventurous new things and making them work so magically. There's one song in particular on Narrow Stairs which I am now totally enamored with. It's called "Cath...", and well, you just have to hear it. I've had it on repeat since last night, and I just wanted to share it with all of you! Enjoy!

mp3:
Death Cab for Cutie - Cath...

I'll try and post more often this week and not wait so long for updates in the future. I've got some time off from school and work so it should be pretty easy. I just need to get motivated!

Thank you, television!

I finally finished vacuuming my apartment and sat down to take a quick TV break to try and relax. While flipping through the channels, a commercial came on for the new Mitsubishi Outlander. Now, I don't give a crap about cars, but the song playing in the commercial was incredible! I HAD to find out what it was! After a little internet Google-ing, I found out the song is called "Je ne te connais pas" by the French group Prototypes. How have I not found this band sooner? You know, I am obsessed with all things French, especially their music. Perhaps I was sidetracked by all my recent Swedish-love. Oh well, I've found them now, and it was truly fate. See? Sometimes advertising CAN be used for good!

Here's the commercial featuring the song -



And here's the song in all its Frenchified glory. Enjoy!

mp3:
Prototypes - Je ne te connais pas

More on Scarlett

I've decided I do like it after all. Enough said.

mp3:
Scarlett Johansson - Anywhere I Lay My Head

When Actresses and Models Try To Sing...

It's usually a disaster. (Unless you're Zooey Deschanel, of course, because her voice is gorgeous.) But such musical talent is not always automatically embedded in actresses.

Like most people, when I found out Scarlett Johansson was releasing an album of Tom Waits covers, I was confused and intrigued at the same time. Scarlett is an actress who I really, truly admire - hell, she starred in my favorite movie of ALL TIME - and I appreciate how she doesn't seem to whore it up like other young actresses her age. She seems to be a truly intelligent and classy girl, but also a fun, youthful girl at the same time. And how cool was it when she sang with The Jesus and freakin' Mary Chain at Coachella last year??! So, in all honesty, I really REALLY want to like her album. It's called Anywhere I Lay My Head and will be released on May 20. It was produced by Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio and features guest vocals from David Bowie, so it can't be all bad, right?

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much I like what I've heard so far. The first single, "Falling Down," has a dreamy, hazy atmosphere to it, but Scarlett's vocals seem to fade in the background. Although, that may be a good thing - she seems incredibly off-key in many parts. Here's the video for the song - it's always nice to look at Scarlett, no matter what the song sounds like, and it is a pretty little piece of film. But what the hell is Salman Rushdie doing in there?



Again, I really want to like this album, but I'm on the fence after hearing this. What do you all think?

Even worse than a singing actress, however, is a singing model. British-born Agyness Deyn is currently the It Girl of the fashion world, with her face showing up in magazines everywhere. I do really dig her look...to me she seems like a cross between a Til Tuesday-era Aimee Mann and Jean Seberg (whose picture is at the top right-hand corner of this page). She definitely has a very British air to her, though, which I think is cool. Anyway, Agyness recently recorded a song with a New York-based band called the Five O'Clock Heroes and they released a video to go along with it. The interesting thing is, it's not that bad! The song is decent enough, and it actually gets better when she starts singing. Check it out!



Oh well. Both valiant efforts on Scarlett and Agy's parts. But perhaps they should both stick to their day jobs. What do you all think?

Countless Songs

Ladies and gents, meet the lovely Lex Land. I found her album, Orange Days On Lemon Street, while randomly browsing through iTunes this morning and after hearing the song samples and listening to the songs on her myspace page, I downloaded it right away! This chick is AMAZING. She's very reminiscent of Fiona Apple and Rachael Yamagata, but with her own quirky, soulful style and a lot of pure passion. Plus she's a mirror image of Maggie Gyllenhaal, and that's always a cool thing! Get on board with her music now, because I'm telling you, this girl could be huge any day now!

mp3s:
Lex Land - Could've Had Me
Lex Land - All We've Ever Done

Lex Land's Myspace