Archive for January 2013

Xtina's Song of the Day

This really should be everyone's song of the day. It's a new Iron and Wine song. It's called "Lovers' Revolution," and his album comes out April 16. It is like old Iron and Wine but better. It has horns and all that kind of stuff. Just listen and enjoy.


Zach's Song of The Day

Eels have a new album coming out  next Tuesday, February 5. If any of our readers know me, they know how much I love Eels.

Here is one of the songs from their new album Wonderful, Glorious. 


Last.fm

Almost five years ago a friend of mine introduced me to Last.fm and it changed my music listening life forever.
If you've never heard of it, in a nutshell it's a website that keeps track of everything that you listen to. You can see your top artists and songs for the week, month, three months, six months, year, and your overall top songs and artists.
You download an app to your computer that syncs with your iTunes account, Spotify, and your mp3 player or smart phone.
To get a better idea of how it works you can look at my profile by clicking HERE.
If you don't have one I highly recommend it. If you start an account, add me. It's fun to see what  my friends are listening to.

Posted by Zach 

FYI: Local Natives


Local Natives came out with a new album yesterday, Hummingbird.  I've listened to it once and but I wasn't able to give it my full attention so all I'll say for now is that it was good but I think I like their first one better.



Also, I bought my ticket for their show on April 29th at The Neptune. I'm really looking forward to it. They're playing here on the 26th too but it sold out. I'll let you know how it goes.

Posted by Tori

Xtina's Song of the Day

Back in the Myspace heyday, a friend of mine had a song by the Spinto Band on her page. When I saw that Paste was streaming their new album, I got really excited. I really enjoy it, and I think you will, too. Here is a great song from the album. It reminds me of Beachwood Sparks or Beach Boys or the Beatles or Tame Impala, sometimes. Good, happy, trippy, poppy music.

Xtina's EP of the Day/Week

I get e-mails from this website called Noise Trade. I don't know how they do it, but they have a bunch of free albums. I think artists sign up for it or something? The other day I was flipping through, and I saw an EP called The Natural Lines by Matt Pond. I love Matt Pond PA, but I didn't know anything about this EP. I guess it came out recently in preparation for a new album. Anyway, this EP is amazing. I cannot stop listening to it. It sounds like a Matt Pond PA album except it's only his voice and an acoustic guitar.

Man, can that guy write some lyrics. I love every song, but "Pillar of Salt" has been sticking with me lately. It reminds me of Elliott Smith in that the music is a little upbeat but it just feels kind of haunting or sad. I love that. I hope that you guys enjoy this as much as I do. Download it here if you would like.

"Love to Get Used" is the only song I could find on the internet, but it's a really good one.





Ryan's Records

I got a new vinyl this week. Jay Reatard's Watch Me Fall. If you have never heard of Jay Reatard he was a prolific garage/punk/pop songwriter from Memphis. He sadly passed away a few years ago but left behind a lot of great music. This album was his last and it is packed with fast, catchy garage rock tunes. It's a fun one! Check it out. I bought this record used on amoeba.com

Favorite Tracks: "It Ain't Gonna Save Me", "Before I Was Caught", "I'm Watching You", "Wounded"


Zach's Song of The Day

My good friend Andrew Mayfield sent me this song tonight and I really like it. Andrew is one of the few people outside of this blog whose musical opinion I trust. He knows his stuff (I really wanted to use a swear word instead of 'stuff' but I think my parents and my brother read this).

Easy Street Records

This past weekend my favorite record store closed, Easy Street Records in Queen Ann. Fortunately, they still have their flagship store in West Seattle but who wants to go all the way out there??
Anyway, Ryan posted about this earlier but I just wanted to do a follow up post.
I went there twice last week. Once on Wednesday for one last purchase. While I was there, I actually got a little emotional. Well, I almost did. There were people around. I'm really happy about my last purchase there, though. I bought the Black Belles record. They're one of those cool, hot chick rock bands that I love so much. Not to mention, they record with Third Man Records (AKA Jack White's record label). Here's a cool video of them.



Moving on. My second and last visit to the Queen Anne Easy Street Records was Friday night. Their last show. Yo La Tengo played, which I missed because I have this really dumb thing called a job. I had a few friends go for the show portion of the evening and they said it was PACKED. One of my friends had to wait in line for 45 minutes just to get in. I also missed this really epic moment brought to you by KEXP DJ and The Young Evils band member, Troy Nelson: The rest of the evening was consumed with great music and dancing. They also had Empire Records playing in the back ground. Which was incredibly appropriate.
The night was the perfect send off for the greatest record store in Seattle. I remember the first time I went there. I was in high school and my brother and I had some time to kill during Bumbershoot weekend so we went to check out this record store we'd heard about. We both immediately fell in love. All through high school and whenever I was home from college, I would drive all the way to this store from North Bend (about a 45 minute drive) just to go there. I went there for all my music needs. Anytime someone would come visit me, I would always take them there and they would also fall in love. I even applied for a job there once. It would have been a dream to work there. It was such a great store and will be severely missed. So, goodbye Easy Street Records (in Queen Anne). You will always have a special place in my heart.

Posted by Tori

Ryan's Latest Record Purchase

I have decided that since my favorite medium for listening to music is on vinyl record that I will periodically spotlight a record I have added to my collection.

Today I will spotlight a record that was given to me by my girlfriend Taylor for Christmas. Menomena's Friend And Foe. First of all I can't do this record justice on this blog because the artwork and packaging are what makes it special. It has a spinning wheal in the front cover that changes the song title and art. It is so cool! The music on this album is great too. A very unique mix of indie pop, experimental and straight forward rock music, with baritone sax! Check it out!

Favorite Tracks: "Wet and Rusting", "Muscle'n Flo", "Air Aid", "Rotten Hell"



Posted by Ryan

Zach's Song of the Week, Not Day

I only posted one song of the day this week. I had the flu and some other crazy stuff happened that took most of my time, but I'm back.
Yesterday we went to Springfield, Mo in search of a coffee table. We went to tons of different thrift stores and antique shops looking for one. During our hunt we went into a cool vintage clothing store and I heard a really great song by Son Lux. It's called "Betray".

song of the year.

Just popping out of my Timberlake-induced fog to say that I have not stopped listening to this yet...even in my sleep.






Posted by Christina 

Zach's Song of The Day

I heard Foxygen for the first time on All Songs Considered last week, but it's not the first time I've heard about them. This song is a really beautifully crafted Kinks style pop song.

The song is "San Francisco". 

jt.

Let me preface this by noting that this is not an ironic post...

...because someone had to write about it. As a near-lifelong Justin Timberlake fan, I feel qualified. My first concert was N SYNC, and I stood on the lawn at Shoreline Amphitheatre in tears. (Remember, this post is not ironic.)

I don't really know how he made it out of the boy band/bubblegum pop era, but HE DID IT. Seriously, guys. I was worried that he wouldn't be able to top what he did with Justified and FutureSex/LoveSounds, but listening to the song just once assuaged my fears.

Zach mentioned that "Suit & Tie" sounds a little bit like Raphael Saadiq. I agree; it's got an element of soul that I just love. I'm sorry Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, and everyone else. He is back (with Jay-Z, no less).

I'm not going to pretend that I know how to write about it, so just listen:

Justin Timberlake Ft. Jay-Z - Suit & Tie from Timbaland Passion on Vimeo.

Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired

Joyce Manor is good music for any kind of day. (I'm spending my Saturday afternoon on my couch, by the way, and it is the perfect music for such an activity.) I found them through a blog I follow, and I've listened to this album four or five times a day since then (time-permitting, of course).

I love them because they sound like emo music of olde. It is one of my favorite kinds of music. I like the fuzzy sound quality and short songs, which adds a nice little punk rock element.* Most of the songs have a sing-a-long quality to them, all while employing screaming, fast guitars, and all the things I love about music.

They are touring with Desaparecidos this year, which makes a lot of sense. They remind me a lot of them, Lifetime, and probably some other bands, too. Below is a song from their 2012 album Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired and my favorite Lifetime song just for fun.


*Not an authority on punk rock, in case you were wondering.

      

Xtina's Song of the Day

This was the first Saves the Day song I fell in love with. It's a perfect sing-a-long of loneliness, angst, and hope.


Zach's Song of The Day

I'm a little too sleepy to write a long explanation of why this is my song of the day, so I won't. Just know that it is beautiful and that it makes me feel wonderful. 


The Avett Brothers Dynasty

Just to be predictable, I'm going to take Jeff's challenge by starting with The Avett Brother's last three albums. In my humble opinion, they constitute his definition of a dynasty. Without a doubt. I would even say all their albums contribute to their dynasty. I have yet to hear an album of theirs that wasn't amazing. And with each listen of each album, my love for it grows. But, I'm just going to talk about their most recent three because those are the most popular in the world. ...this time...

Emotionalism came out in 2007. This album was my first exposure to The Avett Brothers and it still holds at least one of my favorite songs. The first few songs are all amazing. But, while the album isn't necessarily my favorite of theirs, it was the perfect transition album for them. In albums previous to this,  their sound was a lot more bluegrass-ey. And I use that term lightly. Basically, their older albums had a lot of banjo. We still hear a lot of that in Emotionalism but you can also hear and maybe even feel that they really reached a limit with that sound. They had peaked. Since Emotionalism, their sound has developed into something that I'm not quite sure how to define but it's still their own and still beautiful.
That being said, this album seemed to really set the tone for a new genre. Since 2007 countless bands (ie: Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, The Head and the Heart, etc.) have adapted this rock/bluegrass/folk sound similar to and possibly unknowingly started by The Avett Brothers. This was also the first of their albums to hit the Billboard charts and from there they sky rocketed in popularity.

With all the other bands adapting a similar sound, their next album, I and Love and You took a major shift in sound. A little less banjo, a little more piano. In addition to rise in popularity, this change may also be attributed to signing with a major label.
Despite their changes, this album will always hold a very special place in my heart (more so than their other albums). It got me through a couple of really rough years. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I've cried to this album more than any other. It's a really powerful album. Their lyrics get even more personal and touch topics not really heard in their earlier work. With I and Love and You, The Avett Brothers really start to take their music to the next level.

The change in sound is even more apparent in their next album, The Carpenter. Along with this seemed to come even more popularity. They were even featured in a Gap commercial. At first, I was a little leery of this continued change but, after more listening and even more contemplation, I decided it was a completely necessary change. I don't think The Avett Brothers couldn't have gone much further with their older sound especially with all the bands who were (and still are) adapting something similar. Like I said, in Emotionalism, their raw, bluegrass rock sound had really peaked. While they still keep their own sound, they are continuing to grow and change in positive ways that are allowing for more exploration as seen in this album especially.
I haven't had as much time with this album as their others so it's still sinking in but I love it more with each listen. Pretty Girl From Michigan might be my favorite Avett Brothers song of all time. (Keyword: might). They really rock the electric guitar. I'm excited to let it grown on me even more and I'm even more excited to see what's coming next.

The Avett Brothers have created an incredible dynasty. They have created their own distinct sound that has risen and influenced music for the better. There are many reasons I love the Avett Brothers but the number one reason I love them is because their love of music and life shines through in their work. They put their soul into their songs and it makes them relatable. They don't create music for money or fame, they create for love. They don't change for money. They will always be The Avett Brothers. They will always be a couple of boys from North Carolina that grew up on music.

Posted by: tori lynn dickson

Zach's Song of The Day

I was driving home from wrestling practice today and 'Wires and Waves' by Rilo Kiley randomly played on my iPod. As I was singing along I realized that this song is also how our blog got it's name. Maybe someday we'll have lots of followers and make lots of money and Jenny Lewis will find out we stole our blog name from one of her band's songs. Cross your fingers that either we don't get famous or that Jenny Lewis won't care.

Yankees and Celtics and Jimmy, oh my!

So I must confess the inspiration but not the content of this post is sports-related. I listen to quite a bit of sports radio and this week a major talking point has been Alabama football as a new dynasty. It got me thinking about some bands/artists that I feel had created dynasties through excellent albums.

 I decided that in music three great albums in a row should constitute a dynasty. I also decided if a single individual was involved in three great albums in a row despite them being from different projects this would also constitute a dynasty. Amy helped me decide that EPs don't count in the tally so we won't go there. I'm hoping to make a series of dynasty posts and invite other contributors to post what they would consider some of their favorite dynasties as well.

 I'll start with what was possibly the first dynasty I fell in love with: Jimmy Eat World's Clarity (1999), Bleed American (2001) and Futures (2004). I honestly think the first exposure I had to Jimmy was from this trailer. I then bought the album and it was on heavy rotation for the whole summer in 2002. Sometime that fall I bought Clarity and honestly didn't love it that much until about a year later. When Futures came out in 2004, I bought it the day it came out and it didn't leave my car's CD player for months.

If I had to choose one reason I love each of these albums they would be as follows: Clarity has to be my all-time-favorite album to listen to when you're on a night drive just because you want to get out of the house. I can't explain it, you'll just have to try it sometime.

Bleed American was the first album my brother and I listened to and realized there was a musical genre outside of Blink 182 fart joke pop-punk (not that there's anything wrong with that) and super intense alternative radio grunge stuff that wasn't lame. It was the closest thing to pop I had ever listened to at that time.

I know a lot of people don't like Futures because of how polished its production is but I'm not one of those people. To this day, it has to be one of my favorite sing-along albums. The vocals still just kill me, especially the harmonies. I guess I'm just a sucker for vocal harmonies.

One last thing I would like to point out about all three of these albums (and even their next album, Chase This Light, which overall I didn't like as much) is Jimmy Eat World pwns album closers. I don't think there's a band that has been as consistent in finishing off their albums on sky-high notes. Goodbye Sky Harbor, My Sundown and 23 all close out their respective albums perfectly.


Myke's Favorite Movies of 2012

Whenever people ask me what my favorite movies are I've always had a hard time responding. Which is weird because I love movies and I see a fair amount of them. I just don’t process and collect them as favorites -- I’m not talking about a physical or digital collection here -- the same way I do music. Usually I when I see a movie, I see it once and that’s it. Sure, there are plenty of movies I see multiple times, but even the ones I really like, I might not take time to watch again. An album or song, on the other hand, I will listen to time and again. Music is far more consumable that way. Because I don’t get as familiar with movies, beyond The Empire Strikes Back, which I’ve seen a thousand times, I've had a hard time telling people what my favorites are.

I noticed this and during 2012 I tried to make a more concerted effort to recognize what I like and appreciate (and don't like) in the movies I see. So here is a list of my favorite movies of 2012. I’m not saying these are the best movies of the year. Just my favorites. Here they are:

10. The Intouchables
What can I say, I love French films. Based on a true story, a rich quadriplegic finds friendship and a new new lease on life in unconventional ways when he hires a petty criminal as his caretaker. It was also the first movie I went to with my girlfriend so there’s some sentimental attachment to it as well. (Technically, this movie came out in 2011 in France. It wasn’t released in the US until 2012 so I’m counting it here.)

9. Moonrise Kingdom
So I didn’t love this movie as much as everyone else did. But it cracked my top ten list so I obviously did like it quite a bit (even my mom really liked it). That said, I love Wes Anderson’s attention to visual detail. I would love to live in the Bishops’ house or go camping in Scout Master Ward’s tent.

8. Robot and Frank
Frank (Frank Langella) is a retired, aging burglar who is given a robot by his son (James Mardsden) to help care for him as dementia sets in. Frank is initially opposed to the robot aide, but once he trains the robot to be an accomplice in robbery, Frank’s attitude changes. My only complaint with this movie is Liv Tyler. She's done a fine job in every other movie I've seen her in, but in Robot and Frank, even the robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) manages to seem more human.

7. Poulet aux prunes
Set in Terhan, Iran, Poulet aux prunes (Chicken With Plumes) is a French film based on a graphic novel of the same name (which I would love to get my hands on). It’s the story -- a pretty sad one, at that -- of a renowned violinist, Nasser Ali (Mathieu Almaric) and his search for inspiration after his wife destroys the special violin a mentor gave him.

6. Hitchcock
To my knowledge, I’ve seen two Hitchcock movies in my life (remember, I’ve never claimed to be any sort of movie buff), so I didn’t have any hopes or expectations going into this one. I really enjoyed it. Hitchcock tells the story of the filming of Psycho. Excellent performances by a portly Anthony Hopkins (as the man himself), Helen Mirren, and Scarlett Johansson.

5. Argo
Hollywood always embellishes true stories and Argo is no exception. That said, many of the events in this film did happen. The second film on this list set in Terhan, Argo is a fantastic tale of the cooperation between the Canadian government and CIA operatives posing as a film crew set on extracting six US diplomats involved in the Iran hostage crisis in Terhan that took place from November 1979 to January 1981. In spite of (because of?) the Hollywood embellishment, Argo is a great movie. And who doesn’t love Alan Arkin, John Goodman, and Bryan Cranston (is anyone else going through Breaking Bad withdrawals? I don’t know what I’ll do when that show ends)?

4. Bernie
Yet another true story, Bernie Tiede (Jack Black) is an assistant mortician in a small Texas town. He is loved by the people and the only friend to the rich, unfriendly widow, Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine). Until the day he murders her. Jack Black’s best role ever? Maybe.

3. My number two movies are tied so I’m skipping number three altogether.

2. Lincoln (tie)
Daniel Day-Lewis. As Abraham Lincoln. I could stop right there. But in doing so, I would fail to acknowledge the awesome performances given by Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, although my favorite non-DDL performance would have to go to James Spader as W.N. Bilbo. I wonder if some people disliked this movie because there were only a couple Civil War action scenes. To me, the lack thereof was what made this movie good. The drama involved in passing the 16th amendment was so interesting. Daniel Day-Lewis should be up for an Oscar here (though I hope it goes to Hugh Jackman; DDL already has a couple).

2. Les Misérables (tie)
This movie received maybe a little too much hype. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t love it. My first experience with Les Mis was a Broadway production in New York City in 2007. My favorite scene then, and in this movie, is at the very beginning when the gendarmes bring Jean Valjean back to the bishop for stealing the bishop’s silver after he had fed and housed Valjean for the night. The bishop corroborates Valjean’s story and convinces the gendarmes that he did in fact give Valjean the silver, and goes a step farther and gives him the silver candlesticks that Valjean did not steal. That act of forgiveness and grace made me teary-eyed both times. How foreign that act must have been for Valjean, who had known only accusing unfairness his whole life. No wonder he changed and became such an example of grace.

That the singing in this movie was filmed live and not overdubbed later is part of what makes this movie great.

I’ve always loved Hugh Jackman. I was happy to see him score the role of Jean Valjean and then straight-up nail it. And finally, people can stop hating Anne Hathaway for no reason.

1. Safety Not Guaranteed
This wasn’t the best movie I saw this year. Many of the films listed above are better. This one was just my favorite. This movie was inspired by an ad that appeared in a local Washington newspaper in 1997:

Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.

Jeff, Darius, and Arnau (played by Jake Johnson, Aubrey Plaza, and Karan Soni, respectively) are magazine employees who set off to investigate the ad and the man who wrote it. Predictably, yet pleasantly, Darius falls for Kenneth (Mark Duplass), the ad’s author. It’s Aubrey Plaza (who I love on Parks and Rec) and Mark Duplass that make this movie shine.

My only real complaint is how quickly and conveniently the ending wraps up. But the movie’s great heart and a couple well-placed Star Wars jokes make the somewhat weak climax forgivable.

Here are several honorable mentions, in no order:

The Hobbit
This was one of the best books I read all year. How I made it 30 years without reading it is a true shame. Oh yeah, the movie was pretty good too.

Katy Perry: Part of Me
I dig Katy Perry. Get off my back.

Skyfall
My dad and my siblings have a standing tradition to see any new James Bond movie the weekend it opens. Not as good as Casino Royale, my favorite Bond film, but still a solid addition to the franchise. Did the ending remind anyone else of Home Alone?

Beasts of the Southern Wild
Hushpuppy was one of the best characters in any movie all year.

The Dark Knight Rises
I think people were expecting more from this movie. It’s Batman and Christopher Nolan, what more do you want? Batman is another series that I love watching with my siblings.

The Hunger Games
The movie was better than the book. So much that I don’t have a desire to read the book ever again. Jennifer Lawrence was awesome. Also, I love Woody Harrelson.

The Avengers
Most likely the best Marvel movie ever made. Joss Whedon nailed it.

Movies I’m looking forward to in 2013:

The Young and Prodigious Spivet
I read the book on which this movie is based because I heard Jean-Pierre Jeunet (my favorite French director; he did Amélie and so many other great movies) was directing the book adaption. The book was also one of the best I read all year.

The Wolverine
Again, I love Hugh Jackman, and I’ve always been a huge X-Men/Wolverine fan. Here’s hoping this ends up better than with the first Wolverine movie.

The Great Gatsby
I love American classics. I’m anxious to see how this adaptation turns out.

Star Trek: Into Darkness
I feel like you either love or hate J.J. Abrams. I’m in the former camp.

Ender’s Game
One of the best science fiction novels ever, this movie will either be incredible or terrible.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Just kidding.

Zach's Song of The Day

J. Tillman, under the moniker Father John Misty, put out one of my favorite albums in 2012, but Tillman has been making music for a long time under his own name. Last year's album, Fear Fun, was a departure from his normally slower sound.I won't lie, I don't love every J. Tillman song. Some of them are little sluggish and seem like they could be background music for Dungeons and Dragons. However, most of it I do like, and every once and a while one of his songs will hit me deep. My song of the day is from his 2009 album Year in The Kingdom, which also happens to be the name of the song. 



Xtina's Song of the Day

I started watching Girls and I love it. I love any show with neurotic people, so I'm set. I don't know if I would recommend it to everyone, but it is good. This song played during the end credits of the pilot episode.


Today's Music News

I have a few things for you guys today. Three things to be exact. And they're all about some of my very favorite musicians. Which is why I'm sharing.

First, it's Elvis's birthday today. He would have been 78! So, in honor of him, here's a song.


Next on the list, it's the 45th anniversary of "Sitting On the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. It's not my favorite Otis song but it's still a good one and I love him.



And now, the best for last. After ten years, David Bowie is releasing a new album this year on March 12th. The album will be titled The Next Day and you can read a little more about it here. I'm excited about this. If any of you actually know me, you'll know that I love love love LOVE David Bowie.



Today is a good day.

Zach's Song of The Day

As I put grades into the computer and prepared for my students to come back to school tomorrow this song came on shuffle and it made me feel great. Also, going back to work after a two week break is tough.

Tori's Song of the Week

So I kept trying to post a song every day this week but then I kept forgetting so I have a song of the week. As most of you know, I love older music. You may or may not also know that I love new music that sounds like older music. Bands that have a throwback sound, if you will. Raphael Saadiq fits into this category. He often even dresses the part, which I love even more. He does a lot of really great collaborations with modern R&B singers too. You all should give him a listen.

100 Posts & My Top 10 of The Week

This will be the 100th post on Wires and Waves. I'm not sure this is a huge milestone, but it does mean we haven't stopped posting since we started this back in June (which I think IS a huge milestone). Also, I want to thank Amy Poole for our really great new blog layout. She did such a great job. We were in much need of an overhaul. It was looking pretty boring. So, thanks again Amy.
Well it's Sunday and that's usually when I post my top artists of the week, so I'll take advantage of this post and do that now.

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Xtina's Song of the Day

Today, Geoff Rickly (of Thursday) tweeted that this song is his current favorite song for nursing a heartbreak. He is my favorite singer/songwriter, so I typically listen to any song or read any poem that he recommends. This song is really good, and I am enjoying the album as a whole. Enjoy.



Jeff's Song of the Day

The first time I heard these guys I thought, "these guys sound exactly like Cap'N Jazz." I guess I kind of thought they were an anomaly of a band in that they had a midwestern emo (of which I'm a big fan) revival sound. Then I heard there's actually quite an emo revival scene scattered across a few cities like Philadelphia and Denton, TX. Out of these new emo bands I'd have to say Algernon is by far my favorite. I listened to this song a lot over the last few days. Enjoy.

Zach's Song of The Day

Over the past ten years if you would have asked me what my favorite Ryan Adams album is the answer would have changed at any given point during that ten year span. Right now it's Love is Hell, and my song of the day hails from that album.

Obituary for January 18, 2013

Another one bites the dust. One of my favorite record stores is closing this month because of steeply increasing rent in a near downtown Seattle neighborhood. So this is my call to the world wide interweb... buy some damn records, CD's and tapes at your local record store because it may not be there tomorrow.

The Easy Street records in Queen Anne Seattle is closing January 18th. There will, however, be one final in-store performance by none other than Yo La Tengo. So if you are in Seattle go check that out and send Easy Street off with a bang! I myself purchased a fare share of CD's and records there and even caught one in store (shout out to Joe, Zeb and Leah!) Luckily there is a second location in West Seattle that has a great selection of new and used vinyl and CD's plus a cool cafe.

Hopefully record store closures do not become a trend though this is not the first and probably not the last.

-Earl

Zach's Song of The Day

Christmas break of 2006 my sister and I embarked on what would become the 2nd worst driving experience of my life (the 1st was Christmas break 2010). On our way home to Oklahoma from Rexburg, Idaho an ice storm hit Nebraska. Ice so thick it not only covered the road completely, but our car too. Besides sliding all over I-80, we also almost ran out gas and then a few hundred miles later we almost hit an elk. It is a road trip that will go down in infamy.

Okay. . . The drive home was awful, but that doesn't mean it was all bad. The one good thing that happened on that trip is my sister putting in an album (Sun, Sun, Sun) by a band called the Elected. I fell in love with that album. For over a year I probably listened to it everyday. It got me through a lonely time in Jackson Hole, WY. It got me through a break up. It got me through a lot. I will forever be indebted to our near death experiences driving home from college at Christmas time listening to the Elected.

The song of the day isn't from Sun, Sun, Sun, but from The first Elected Album, Me First. The song is Go On. Enjoy.






Not music.


I read a lot of great books this year. I feel like I really perfected the art of choosing great books to read. Way to go, Me! The latest best book ever that I read is called The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I read another of his books, Looking for Alaska, when I was in high school, and I loved it. I would have called it one of the best books I read then. 
The Fault in Our Stars has it all. It has love, but it isn’t a cheesy or generic or cliched kind of love. It has a lot of sadness, but it’s the kind of sadness that occurs in normal life. It has weird teenagers, but they are the cool kind of weird. It has a fictional book that I really wanted to read. It has a drunk and disappointing hero. A few days after I read this book, I heard someone in a podcast say, “Never meet your idols.” That’s just the kind of great disappointment that this book contains. 
It makes your heart swell, or whatever cliched phrase you prefer (although a swelling heart sounds pretty dangerous). This book is about cancer, but it isn’t about cancer. I think it’s just about coming out of your shell or getting to a place where you feel a little more confident in yourself. 
Five stars, hear hear, hip hip hooray.



Xtina's Song of the Day

Because nothing feels better than driving in my car while singing along to Full Collapse (except, of course, watching it live, which I got to experience in 2011).

"Understanding in a Car Crash"-- Thursday



Zach's Song of the Day

When I think of Cat Power I think of lounge music or slow quiet rainy day with the covers over your head music, both of which I love. When I found out Chan Marshall (Cat Power) was putting out a new album I was beyond excited. . . . Until I listened to it.
This was a different Cat Power. A dancy electronic Cat Power. What! Cat Power making music you can move your hips to. "No thank you", I thought.
Well that's what I thought anyway. This is a more upbeat album than I wanted, but there are some really great songs on here. It just took more than one listen and an open mind to realize it.
The album is Sun, the song is Cherokee and it's my song of the day.

Zach's Song of the Day

A few years ago I heard about Sharon Van Etten from All Songs Considered. I immediately loved her. Her music is hard for me to compare to anyone else (maybe Mazzy Star?). All I can say is that it's great. 'One Day' was the first song that I really connected with and it is also my song of the day.




Overlooked in 2012



Every year there are always a few albums I overlook. This year I tried to keep track of everything, but there were still a few albums that I either forgot about that I listened to earlier in the year or that I didn't listen to until this month.
One album I forgot about was The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy by Nada Surf. I bought this album the day it came out last January and loved every song, but for some reason I never listened to it after January. Last week on the All Songs Considered blog I saw that one of the editors, Stephen Thompson, put it in his top ten albums of the year. I went back and listened to it and fell in love with it all over again. It's a really great album. I think I can consider Nada Surf one of my favorite bands. They get better with every new release. 
The other two bands that didn't make my list are Japandroids and Jack White. Both of these albums (Celebration Rock & Blunderbuss) are incredible. I bought them both in December. I had heard them on Spotify but its really hard for me to get into an album unless I can listen to it in the car or at work. Both albums would have made my top albums list. 
If you haven't listened to any of these albums I highly recommend them. Here are my favorite songs from all three albums. Enjoy. 


               Japandroids pictured below 

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