You Need To Listen To The Features

The Features are a band you should know about, but might not. Great mix of folksy tunes with bag band influences. I was fortunate enough to catch them as the 3rd act of a four band concert up at Water Street in Rochester a few weeks back. AMAZING. I promptly came home and bought their latest album. It did not disappoint. Here's one of their more famous tunes that you may recognize:





Check out the album with this tune on it:

Live Video Clip of the Day: The Airborne Toxic Event Live 8.05.09 in Covington, Kentucky

This is a great song that is not currently available for download in a studio version. Pretty stoked for Airborne Toxic Event to come out with their new piece so I can have this play on repeat about 20 times a day.

TV Tunes Tuesdays: Watch Parenthood Tonight!

This is a random plug, but watch the show Parenthood tonight. I have a huge crush on Peter Krause and a girl crush on Lauren Graham. It looks awesome and I'm in desperate need of a show to watch on a weekly basis that is not on HBO or Showtime. It's on at 10 Eastern on NBC.

Not much about music, I suppose, but here is a trailer for it:

Music Movie Mondays: Catch and Release

 

One Sentence Review: A better-than-it-should-be movie with a rocking soundtrack.

Full Review: I have a deep, dark secret to admit: I love the movie Catch and Release. A movie snob to the core, normally, I would laugh it off as garbage and pretend I hated it, while secretly watching the DVD several times on the sly, but I can't this time. You need to see this movie. Most critical reviews I have read on the movie give it extremely negative reviews (we're talking 1's out of 5's and C-'s). Don't believe them.

Rewind. You're thinking, what does this have to do with music? Catch and Release has an awesome soundtrack, which I will get to momentarily. 

The movie itself centers around a woman whose fiance dies a few days before her wedding. As she tries to figure out life without him, she begins to find out secrets from his past. After moving in with a couple of his buddies and the return of his old high school friend, things get intense all around, and that's about as far as I'm going to take it with the synopsis, but it involves secret money, a kid, and unexpected love interests. It's not a romantic comedy, but it's not a drama. It lies in the space between the two and does so quite well.

Jennifer Garner is likable as per usual. Timothy Olyphant, her fiance's old high school buddy who comes home from LA, is ridiculously attractive and charming. He's a solid actor that does well even in mediocre flicks. Kevin Smith is actually funny. Don't send me angry notes about how great he is. What's so funny about Kevin Smith aside from original Silent Bob stuff? Not great. Maybe his Emmy (or Gemini since we are talking Canadian show, eh?) worthy performance in Degrassi? Probably not.

So, back to the music. 

The soundtrack is loaded with laid back jams from Joshua Radin and Gary Jules. It also has rocking tracks from Gomez and Deathcab for Cutie. It is a soundtrack worth buying, if you don't already own half the tunes. I love the Radin song that I featured in the live video clip earlier today and the Gomez tune "These 3 Sins" that plays on the way to a day of chilling by the river. Awesome picks all around.

Great soundtrack and surprisingly good movie. Check em both out. It's worth your time, even if you have to lie about it afterward.

You Could Fast Forward Through: I don't love the weird semi-relationship that happens between Smith and Juliet Lewis (especially a creepy moment that you can figure out when you see it) or her extremely annoying kid that I would give extreme eye rolls (they mean biz) to if I saw them out in public and he behaves like he does for 90% of his scenes. Also, the ending should be better than it is. It's pretty cliche, which is sad, because you get the idea that the movie never catches on that it could be great.

You Have To Watch: A smoking hot kiss between Garner and Olyphant. I wasn't going to spoil it for you, but if you don't get where the movie is headed about twenty minutes in, you should question your reasoning skills. It's so awesome that I have found the clip and provide it for you. Hot. Hot. Hot. 

 

 

 

Also, the cinematography is beautiful. It's so nice that you'll probably look up costs to travel to Colorado as soon as the movie is over. 

 

Fun Fact: Jason Lee was originally offered the role that eventually went to Kevin Smith and even though I love Jason Lee, I gotta say, Smith owned this role. Props to him. Dude's had a rough week. 

 Take a stroll on over to Amazon and check out the soundtrack.

Live Video Clip of the Day: Joshua Radin Live in South Carolina

My obsession with the Olympics has rendered this blog empty in the past week. Lo siento.


Here's a little bit for you and I promise I have a few entries up my sleeve for the week, maybe even another today if you're ultra lucky.

Here's a sweet little tune from a few years back. I've been on the Joshua Radin bandwagon forever and I'm pretty pumped that I've had three different people ask me if I've heard of him in the past month. Dude should be huge.




Go check out some of his stuff at Amazon:

The Killers Going on Indefinite Hiatus and I Cry Myself to Sleep

News broke a couple weeks ago, when The Killers canceled several shows in Asia, that the band is going on "hiatus".

Please let this be part time. With Panic! at The Disco breaking in half last year, the unsure times of Fall Out Boy, and now this, guyliner may just be a thing of the past.

Of course, I care much more about this band than the other two in that last statement. They're so awesome and always coming up with new stuff from album to album. I have really loved getting to see them progress as a band since 2004, when buying their album Hot Fuss became one of the best musical moments of my life. I've tried putting into words how much I love this band for the past hour, but I can't come up with anything. They're so good, they render me speechless.

Hey, guys, I know everyone needs a break, but please let this be a short term thing. If I have to live a life without The Killers, I don't know what I'll do with myself.

Until they reunite, I will be playing "Smile Like You Mean It" on permanent loop...in my heart.

Live Video Clip of the Day: Muse on Later...with Jools Holland, 2009

Just sweet.



Here's the mp3:
Undisclosed Desires

Note to Fans of Guyliner...Sadness May Soon Fill Ye Bones

Did you like totally hear the news, that OMG, Fall Out Boy is like totally omfg...breaking up?


Generic teen talk aside, this is actually a true story. The future of FOB remains uncertain as the players involved are "in different places", which is always a grim sign.

Like 'em or not, Fall Out Boy has had a major impact on the popular culture of the current times, not only in music, but in many other aspects. They were one of the originators of the guyliner craze, as well as skinny jeans for dudes and the revival of the flannel.

First Aerosmith and now Fall Out Boy. It's break up season for bands.

Wait...The Grammy's Were Yesterday?

So, this blog has been lacking a bit lately and totally missed out on writing a Grammy post, but in the anticipation that things will be picking up soon, here's a couple funny nuggets for ya.

• How about that performance by Drake, Lil Wayne, and Eminem? Seemed pretty sweet, especially all the silence 
• Taylor Swift made a boo boo, after a pretty sick night, including beating out Beyonce and Lady Gaga for album of the year.
• Speaking of which, Beyonce and the GaGa looked pretty much delighted when Swift won. Of course, by delighted, I mean terribly pissed. 
• Man, there a lot more, but I just read a humorous play by play of the event, which you can see here. It's much funnier than anything I could come up with.

Stay tuned for more entries this week. I swear. 

Live Video Clip of the Day; The Feeling Live from Abbey Road 2007

Sorry for the slacking on new posts as of late. Check out this sick tune by The Feeling from a few years back that appeared on the Abbey Road series on Sundance.

Awesome little beat with some great lyrics.

Live Video Clip of the Day: The Killers Live at Abbey Road

Romeo and Juliet is an amazing song. It was originally performed by Dire Straits and written by their lead singer Mark Knopfler. Really just a beautiful tune with lyrics that pierce the soul. Dramatic, right?

Here is a clip of the Killers singing it back in 2007 at Abbey Road. It has also been covered by Matt Nathanson.

Third Eye Blind is Still Kickin'...And I Like It

My friend Greg is happy that Third Eye Blind is once again relevant to the music scene. And he's not even the biggest fan of 3EB (does that make me seem legit?) that I know.


I have strange friends. I could name at least three right now that would consider Third Eye Blind their all time favorite band. Don't get me wrong. I used to be quite obsessed myself. I can remember Thanksgiving back in 1999, my mom was concerned about not having a pan for potatoes and sent my brother to K-Mart to buy one. As a 14-year-old I tagged along, not to make sure he bought the right pan(sometimes he was a little slow), but solely for the purpose of buying Blue, the band's second major album. I came home and listened to it all night, spending most of the holiday finding a quiet room and playing the cd on my discman(so 90s), jamming to "Never Let You Go", while the the family gathered to eat and be merry. I guess my friends aren't that strange after all. Third Eye Blind was a pretty kick ass band back in the day.


Fast forward ten years and I bet you didn't know that Third Eye Blind released their highest Billboard ranked album this past summer. Granted, it didn't sell as much as previous efforts in their first weeks, but a slow sales week gave them their highest ranking debut yet on the Billboard 200, which definitely came as a surprise.


A lot has changed for Third Eye Blind since the days of Semi-Charmed Life, which is the happiest song about crystal meth and oral sex that I bet will ever be made. Kevin Cadogan was forced out of the band and in turn, sued the other members amidst several ugly allegations, including one that lead singer, Stephan Jenkins, was a bit of a tyrant. Jenkins starred in a really awesome made for TV movie. I kid, it was awful, and his acting was atrocious, but at least he was looking good. Don't take my word for it, check out this hilarious review.


In 2004, they were dropped from their label, which must have burned a bit, considering their 2003 release was given little label help, because Elektra was being taken over by Atlantic during promotions for the album. It lead to only two singles being released and one video, as well as underwhelming sales. Then came a six year stalemate (aside from becoming a staple of the college concert circuit) and now, they're back.


These days, original bassist Arion Salazar is not a part of the group, but hasn't officially left for good. Leaving the drama in the past, Third Eye Blind has released a pretty sweet little album in Ursa Major. A slightly different sound may gain new fans, while true fans will appreciate songs that sound similar to the good old tunes of the late 90s, full of catchy beats and witty lyrics.


There are some stand out tracks on the disc. You have probably heard “Don't Believe a Word” and “Bonfire” on the radio, the second of which sounds closest to the band's previous success stories, the first has a pretty sick music video. “One in Ten” is a light hearted take on falling in love with a woman who likes women. Sounds like a joke, but it's kind of a sweet little tune and proves you can write about such a subject without getting ridiculous. I'm talking to you, JC Chasez. A couple of slower tracks, including “Dao of St. Paul”, get a little too serious for my Third Eye Blind tastes. I want them to sing to me about horrible, dirty, addictive things, but encapsulate them in nice, little pop rock packages that make me tap my toes.


The disc isn't great, but it's pretty good and that's enough. Their six year absence made the heart grow fonder and I'm a little bit convinced that even a terrible album would have been a welcomed effort. In an industry full of ups and downs, it just feels sweet to turn on a radio and hear a band you were into over ten years ago being played. Let's just hope it doesn't take another six years for it to happen again.

Live Video Clip of the Day: Dierks Bentley - Spirit Live Music Lounge, 2007

Did you know that in 2007 Dierks Bentley became the first contemporary country music artist to be invited to perform at Bonnaroo? Now you do.

I love this song. Great imagery in the lyrics and a nice little melody.

And how about the dude on the left? Chomp that gum, good sir, chomp away.





Check out the mp3 over at Amazon:
Every Mile A Memory (Album Version)

Live Video Clip of the Day: Matt Costa Live at Vans, 2008

Gotta love the wall of shoes in the background.

Man, this is a beautiful song.



Check out the mp3 over at Amazon:
Astair

Muse's Matt Bellamy Named Guitarist of Decade by Total Guitar Magazine

I don't think it's a big secret that I'm pretty obsessed with the skillz (the z is so necessary in this case) of Matt Bellamy from the band Muse. Every time I watch him play the guitar I have to wipe drool from my mouth. Slightly gross, but oh so true.

Well, he was just named the guitarist of the decade by Total Guitar Magazine. It's pretty amazing to see someone who is such a great musician stay true to his roots, while he and his bandmates are achieving immense commercial success. There is always that weird stigma that people get about bands, like it's no longer cool to like them when their music is on the local radio station.

It is now and always will be cool to like Muse.

Here is the article courtesy of Total Guitar:

Matthew Bellamy

Guitarist of the Decade

We count down 10 reasons why Muse’s frontman has shaped the last decade of guitar, from his blistering solos and heavy riffs, through to his electric stage presence and that superguitar.

10. He’s made classical cool again.

Present Zakk Wylde with a chamber orchestra and he’d probably eat the conductor for breakfast and pick his teeth with the baton. Matt Bellamy has a different attitude, instead hijacking the fusty world of powdered wigs and harpsichords and fusing its coolest ideas into his mould-breaking guitar solos and riffs. As you bang your sweaty head to Plug in Baby’s monster intro, you are actually listening to a bastardization of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Bach’n’roll, baby…

9. His stage presence is off the wall.

Respect to the Muse set designer, but all the satellite dishes and acrobats in the world can’t compare to the spectacle of a small man from Devon losing himself in the music. Bellamy doesn’t ‘do’ banter, shout-outs or feet on monitors. Instead, he deals in unhinged virtuosity, stroking and strangling his Manson through the hits, jolt dancing like an electric eel, using nervous energy to power the greatest show on Earth (or any other planet).

8. He saved us from nu-metal

Sludge-tuned chugging topped with meathead rap was the sound of the new millennium, until Matt Bellamy arrived with Showbiz, fired stinger missile solos into the lumpen rock scene and reminded a generation that life doesn’t have to stop at the seventh fret. Without rubble rousing early guitar parts like Sunburn and Muscle Museum, this magazine would be full of potato-headed dullards mumbling about “playing for the song”. Nobody wants that.

7. He has a ‘superguitar’.

Actually, Matt has a bunch of superguitars; all built by UK luthier Hugh Manson and featuring more onboard technology than it took to put the first man on the moon. Matt’s guitars, including his famous ‘retired’ Delorean or Silver Manson, feature various combinations of Fernandes Sustainer pickups, Z.Vex Fuzz Factory stompbox circuitry and X-Y controlled KAOSS pads to allow him to manipulate his effects with his fingertips. Genius.

6. He made the most flamboyant debut album ever.

Muse released their first album Showbiz in 1999, the year of Britney Spear’s debut single Baby One More Time and not a whole lot else. Guitar music was flatlining, so the sight and sound of Matt Bellamy tearing at his guitar strings was exhilarating. Despite accusations from some quarters that Muse were little more than Radiohead rip-off, Matt’s heroic performance on songs like Muscle Museum proved that something special has arrived.

5. He bends all the rules.

On paper at least, a combination of progressive rock, classical music, electronica and pop shouldn’t really work… a bit like Genesis jamming to those horrible Hooked On Classics albums from the 80’s. Matt makes it work. Not many musicians can switch from a beautiful Danny Elfman style piano piece to a heavy as hell riff like he can. Listen to New Born (Origin of Symmetry, released in 2001) for evidence of the man’s genius.

4. His solos are works of art.

Matt’s solos are as beautifully constructed as his Manson guitars. A masterclass in expressive guitar technique his solos usually feature tremolo-picked passages, string scrapes, whammy bar clips and inventive use of effects. Matt has a fantastic vibrato and always manages to make his solos sound spontaneous, even if they are carefully constructed. Look up Knights of Cydonia: Live at Wembley Stadium 2007 to witness Matt’s killer lead guitar.

3. He has unrivalled creativity.

Matt Bellamy has some really serious chops. In addition to his incredibly unique guitar style, the guy kills on piano and has a three octave vocal range as demonstrated by his incredible falsetto singing on Plug in Baby and other gargantuan Muse ditties. As if all that virtuosity wasn’t enough, Matt is also the primary songwriter for Muse, composing classics such as Supermassive Black Hole, Stockholm Syndrome and Knights of Cydonia. Yeah, we’re jealous too.

2. He wrote the biggest riff of the decade.

If the sheer number of ‘attempts’ at music shows and in music shops is anything to go by, the Plug in Baby riff is this generation’s Sweet Child O’Mine or Stairway to Heaven. Like its illustrious forbears, Plug in Baby grabbed guitarists by the balls by virtue of its sheer inventiveness. The sick fuzz tone didn’t hurt much either. It’s one of those riffs that sounds fresh and unique, and it makes everyone wish they could play guitar.

1. He is the Hendrix of our generation.

Comparing anyone to Jimi Hendrix can get you in some serious trouble, but we can recon you’re on pretty safe ground with Matt Bellamy. Matt uses effects and feedback like a musical instrument, punctuating solos with weird pops and squeaks. Just like Jimi. In Matt’s hands the guitar is more than just a tool, it’s an extension of his body and his voice. Just like Jimi. He’s also that extremely rare combination of a guitar virtuoso who can write great songs that will stand the test of time. Again, just like Jimi.

Check this video out and you're welcome in advance:

Siiiigh.

Live Video Clip of the Day: Ryan Adams on Letterman, 2006

Awesome song that is on a pretty killer soundtrack. Go check out the tunes from Elizabethtown. Pretty sweet music from Tom Petty to Elton John. The soundtrack was so awesome they released a second volume with more sweetness.

PS-Ryan Adams is married to Mandy Moore. If they have kids, they'll be sweet musicians with great hair.



You know you want the mp3:

Live Video Clip of the Day: Paolo Nutini @ Bush Studios, 2006

Sweet little number by Scottish singer Paolo Nutini from a few years back. Based on the story he tells, he's a baller, and I like that.

Pretty insane that this guy is only 22. Seems like he's been around forever.

You might need to turn your speakers up, as the sound quality isn't great, but I love how sketchy the studio looks, like it's someone sitting around jammin in their basement. Awesome.



Check out his first cd over at Amazon:

Women Making History

Sweet little article over at Chart Watch by Paul Grein about female solo artists holding the top five spots on the Billboard Hot 200 list for the first time ever.
Check it out, it's a pretty interesting read.

The top 5 are:

1. Susan Boyle
2. Lady Gaga
3. Alicia Keys
4. Mary J Blige
5. Taylor Swift


Hmmm. A couple of them might be a liiiiiittle bit overrated, but I will put my music snobbery aside to bask in a moment of female empowerment.

Live Video Clip of the Day: The Ryan Montbleau Band-Sun Studio Sessions

I was perusing the list of artists on the Sun Studio Sessions YouTube page and I came across The Ryan Montbleau Band. The name sounded familiar and I realized it was because they were listed as an upcoming act at Water Street. I checked 'em out and I gotta say, they're pretty damn good. Nice classic folk rock sound with a bit of a bluesy edge.

Check out this clip of them performing "Honeymoon Eyes". Also, if you're a Western NY reader, they'll be rocking the stage at Water Street Music Hall on February 5th. Tickets are pretty cheap, so go check them out before they're famous and then you can say you knew them way back when.





Hey, speaking of Sun Studio, it's a pretty sweet place full of amazing musical history. Come back and check us out over the next few weeks to learn a bit more about the history of the place, as well as some new info on what's going on over there these days.

Live Video Clip of the Day: The Killers on Letterman, 5.11.09

The Killers+An Orchestra+Letterman=Awesome


Little lyric snippet from the following:

A change came in disguise of revelation
Set his soul on fire
She said she always knew he'd come around
And the decades disappear
Like sinking ships but we persevere
God gives us hope
But we still fear what we don't know


Bananas.




Check out the mp3:
A Dustland Fairytale