a REALLY new artist.

This is the last blog I'll have time for before they are marked, and there were so many great bands I couldn't choose one. Then I started thinking about something my high school vocal teacher had us do in a project- she had us choose 3 of our favorite artists, and discuss how our voices and styles were alike. Then, she had us look up their musical influences, and find the similarities between the two. By the end I realized how much new artists take from previous ones they have listened to. This shows even in the blogs I've written, Kate Nash's role model is Lily Allen, and they sound alarmingly alike. Then shins role models are the smiths, and they sound a lot, I mean a lot alike, just as I mentioned in my blog about them. My particular influences consist of all the bands I've showed you, and an acoustic style found in the Live Lounge. So, I thought for my last blog I'd show you sort of a glimpse into the product of all these great indie bands. Then, I realized I ahve no recording equipment, no knowledge as to how record, and worst of all- it's flu season. My voice is barely there. Still, I'd like to show off a little of what I've done. All I can show you are lyrics, but I happen to be pretty proud of them, and lyrics are so powerful that I think they are the entire frame of the song. So, here goes nothing. Be kind.

When you left you left like a sunset,
and your light shone through as you walked out of my life.
I know you weren't mine to begin with...
but anyone can enjoy the sunset.

The word goodbye is attached to so much sadness,
it's hard to believe I'd give anything to say those words now.
I guess I'll have to resort to a 2am phone call on your machine,
Screaming about how even if you were hers, I was not to blame
Screaming about how even if you were hers, it didn't change a thing.

I fell in love with our friendship
I fell in love with the way our eyes met
I fell in love with our laughter that night
I fell in love but I didn't mean to.

Now that you're gone, the stars don't shine so bright
I hope from where you are you can still see the light
and I do want you to be happy
but I guess a part of me wishes you were happier with me

Staring up at my ceiling, with a blank mind and even emptier mind
thoughts of you have been washed away with the lips of some other guy
ignoring every glimpse, every whisper "hey you're a mess kid"
Ignoring every glimpse, every whisper cause hey, I'm a miss kid.

I fell in love with our friendship
I fell in love with the way our eyes met
i fell in love with our laughter that night
I fell in love but I didn't mean to.

When you left you left...like a sunset.

In the summer, I play a lot of guitar, not only do I have a heck of a lot more time, but I love playing guitar by the fire. Damien Rice is a great artist I've become pretty comfortable with playing, his accompaniment is simple but always sounds very delicate and beautiful. His voice is powerful and has so much emotion in it that it brings his lyrics to life. He writes all his own stuff and kind of reminds me of an acoustic version of coldplay. Rice has released 2 albums, one titled 0 released in 2002 and another titled 9 in 2007. Although most of his songs are done by him accompanying himself on guitar, he can also play the cello, violin, piano and drums. His songs are mostly slow, and i wouldn't exactly call them up beat but the lyrics aren't quite as sad as most slow songs tend to be, in fact sweet avenue is a great love song that could make anyone smile. That reminds me, smile, also known as Aimee, is another hit of Rice's, and it's powerful chorus will blow you away. I encourage you to take a look at all of Damien Rice's discography because each song really is different, but his unique sounds pulls them all together delightfully. Here's one of his really slow tunes, The Blower's Daughter, from the film closer.

Happy holidays everyone!

Lately I've been in total Christmas mode- putting up christmas lights, decorating my tree, watching Christmas movies and eating endless amounts of Christmas cookies! I even went to the mall the other day and was excited to see Santa and his elves busy at work finding out what all the kiddies are asking for, and Christmas music, which is the whole point of my little blog. I don't know much about this artist, I kind of think he resembles U2, especially the singer's voice. The artist is Hawksley Workman, and the song is called Merry Christmas, I love you. I stumbled upon the song through a friend, so I can't say much for the artist besides that I've fallen completely in love with this song. It's not all about christmas, and maybe doesn't have the traditional value of oh holy night or even rudolph, but the ending makes me feel like the song was a Christmas present to someone, and is there really a better gift could someone ask for? I thought it was really sweet, and just wanted to share, so make sure you pull up the lyrics while you listen.
Happy Holidays everyone :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUJB-yyfZas

just a heads up

Living in hamilton, there aren't too many local celebs to admire, the only band I can think of is teenage head. Mediocore at best is an upcoming band in hamilton, taking the music scene by storm and doing it in style! They are a young band, all it's members under 25, but their sound is mature beyond it's years, in fact, it might even be familiar. They haven't adapted to the generic screaming that most underground bands have become reformed, they've also avoided "hard core break downs" or any sound that might inspire someone to begin "hard core dancing" but old school "moshing" can be expected. Their sound is new and refreshing to hear, but it's retro feel screams rock and roll. They aren't very established, but watch out world, here comes Mediocore at Best!
Here's some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UycrXaaY5nM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLk92bzHXSs

Look them up on facebook for upcoming shows, they usually play in hamilton or toronto, and they've got a show next week with Die Mannequin at the Casbah!

Live Lounge

To be completely honest I'm not entirely familiar with this topic. I stumbled upon a few acoustic covers of popular songs covered by...well popular artists. The really different part about it was, the songs are usually out of their comfort zone. A few of the artists I've seen taking part are snow patrol, Asher Roth, Paramore, and the before mentioned Kate Nash. In particular, a video that stands out is a cover done by the band Gaslight Anthem, and I might write about them sometime soon because I'm absolutely in love with their retro rock feel. Anyways, more about that in another blog, the song they covered was a song called "I do not hook up" by Kelley Clarkson, maybe you've heard of it? If you're thinking, "hey isn't that the one where she jumps all over a guy at a wedding while singing I do not hook up over and over again," then yes, you'd be correct, or at least that's all I got from the song. In Gaslight's cover though, I'm sure if i had not heard the Clarkson version, I might actually find the lyrics meaningful. They take depth and emotion into the song and remove any urge to jump across a table and stick you're tongue down a strangers throat, which can be seen as a pro or con for some I suppose. Regardless, Check it out, here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsVPMt0M-Fs
If you wanna hear more, just check the related video's on the side bar, there's a ton of great stuff.
Cheers :)

I use mouth wash, sometimes I floss.

This is all about me, a take it or leave it autobiography, and probably the shortest one in the world at that. From the title, you might not have guessed what I was going to write about, but this Kate Nash lyric describes me fairly well- simple, and slightly odd. Not to mention this is a music blog, so why not keep the theme? I'm a first year student at Laurier Brantford, and unlike the people I seem to be surrounded with on a daily basis, I haven't got a clue about what I want to do with the rest of my life. What I am sure of, though, is my love of music. Music has been a part of my life since I was only small, as the only way my mom could drag me out of bed for school was to blast "You Shook Me All Night Long" by ACDC. I've always loved to sing, and a few years ago I picked up a guitar and pretty quickly learned to accompany myself, playing at strictly low key events- school functions, and backyard bon fires. I've written a few songs, but I don't take my music too seriously. I keep my music for pleasure and pleasure only because I wouldn't want the pressure of the business world to rob me of my love for it. The music mentioned in my blog tend to be my favorite bands, so I guess I'm a little biased, but hey- good music is good music.

What to expect- nothing more, nothing less.

My blog, generally speaking, is going to be about "music and lyrics." What gave it away? Each blog will mention a band I've had an interest in, but more specifically, these bands will be ones you wouldn't necessarily hear on the radio, see on much music, and certainly nothing that would be played in a club. The target audience for these bands isn't anyone who's music library consists of songs they can "get jiggy with." My blog is for listeners who like a little more meat to their music, specifically lyrics, and each artist has something unique to offer. Sometimes I'll outline a band briefly, and provide a music video, others I'll share my opinion on new songs or videos. Heck, maybe I'll even throw a few rants in there, but for the new music lover, this is you're blog :)
Also, I'd like to say you're welcome in advance, for all the great tunes!
Yours Truly,
music & lyrics.

The shins!

The Shins is a great indie band, with really simple sound. Nothing too complex, a good beat, some nice guitar and this guys got a great voice. Again, a unique voice is great asset to a band, and although The Shins are pretty unique, they remind me the slightest bit of The Smiths. Yes, the names are similar, so I think it's no coincidence, The Shins are no secret admirers. They've got great abstract lyrics that might seem random, but at the same time they allow you to put a spin on their story! They've got a happy-go-lucky feel that sort of makes ya wanna get up and dance :).

The Shins aren't extremely popular and you won't be seeing them on MTV's top ten anytime soon, but they are featured in a number of soundtracks. Some of these include: Garden State, Gilmour Girls, Scrubs and Wicker Park.

They reason I've chosen to share the link "australia" with you, I must admit, is strictly because of the video. It's hilarious, and the only way I can think to describe the song is it just really makes me smile. Enjoy, and once again, keep checking back for music that doesn't strangle your radio :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHTSxw6zN1E

Kate Nash

Okay okay, so maybe she's not completely "indie" anymore as she's made a big splash in the UK, and is slowly making her way to being an international artist, but there's still time to include her in the "music that won't suffocate your radio." Kate Nash is one of my all time favorite artists, she is anything but your sophisticated musician, she doesn't try to sound experienced in her songs, and instead she's all about real life experiences. She doesn't try to take a normal situation and make it sound poetic and beautiful; she uses the awkwardness of everyday experiences as a basis for her own voice. She is from the UK, so her accent also adds personality to her songs. A lot of her songs are funny, but not in a Weird Al way, Nash is very subtle about her humor and often reminds me of the story line in a romantic comedy. She creates characters in her lyrics that people can often relate to, as she uses their flaws more often than not to describe them in a humorous way.

Here's a link to her first music video, Foundations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhC4E055OsY&feature=channel.

Nizlopi

I can’t really think of a better word to describe the band Nizlopi than simply, classy. Their sound is mature and well-rounded, it would fit in with the stereotypical persona of a professional sound, but have still maintained their own and unique voice, which is impressive to say the least. The band consists of two friends, Luke Concannon and John Parker from Leamington Spa. Luke is a singer/songwriter and guitarist, while John has mastered the double bass and plays a little guitar as well. For more information on their bio, you can go here: http://www.nizlopi.com/nizlopi/index.html. Their sound, as my own interpretation, is a folkie interpretation of modern jazz, and Luke Concannon’s unique vocals and his accent coming through in his singing gives them a distinct sound. They have two albums, the first being Half These Songs Are About You and the second being Make It Happen.

My particular interest in Nizlopi sparked because of their moving lyrics, which are only further complicated by their soft sound. In my favorite song by them, Wash Away, from their CD Half These Songs Are About You, the lyrics are specifically moving. Here’s the first verse:

“And so your love sits down next to you
And her body is cold, and her lips are blue
And Its a sad feeling, cos’ she was always warm to you
She the one you’re always singing to”

The verse is a really beautiful way of describing someone’s love for another dying, which is something that happens often, and isn’t exactly glamorous. It’s a song’s intention to take something everyone can relate to and make it sound beautiful in doing so, and appealing to the listener.

Here's a link to the song Girls, also from Half These Songs Are About You.

She & Him!

The first band I'm going to mention is She & Him, and they've got a great retro feel and there lyrics are simple but to the point. The duo is an American indie/folk band that appears to be experiencing a creativity overload. They chose the name in hopes to have a neutral title, so people think "hm I wonder what kind of music that would be." Everything about them, right down to their clothing, is unique and inspired by their music. Zooey Deschannel is the lead singer; you might recognize her from movies like Elf, The Happening, and 500 Days Of Summer. Her voice is slightly raspy, and without a doubt unique, and accompanied by her adorable style, she's a great attribute old school style of the songs. On an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Deschannel describes her music as "sunshine pop" which is definitely an accurate description, although the "sunshine" also includes some sorrow, at the same time. The other half of the band is M. Ward whom accompanies her in writing and performing these songs, as he is also an accomplished singer/songwriter and guitarist. Some of my favorite songs are You Really Got a Hold On Me, the band's bluesy cover of the Beatles song and Sweet Darling, which has a 50's, The Crystals, type feel to it. The band's really something different for today's music scene, and gaining publicity more and more, especially with Zooey's acting career thriving lately. Here's a link to the adorable video for Why Do You Let Me Stay Here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtlO0RXktlo&feature=related. Even the video's got a retro feel, with 2D animations and an overall corny concept! Enjoy!