Favorites From 2007

I hope that everyone had an amazing Christmas vacation for the past week or so. Mine was filled with brewery tours, townie bars, pizza, grilling out, and insane amounts of snow. So, it's getting towards that time of year where Alec and I have to pick our top albums of the year. However, just like last year there are some songs that I really liked on albums released in 2007 that just won't quite make the cut. Pick a few out, listen, and enjoy!

Mark Ronson - Valerie feat. Amy Winehouse

Super-producer Mark Ronson got it exactly right when he asked Amy Winehouse to sing this bouncy, soul-ish tune for his 2007 album Version. Backing strings, light piano comp-rhythms, and horn arrangements flesh the tune out, and the driving beat makes it perfect for almost any party.

Saves the Day - Get Fucked Up

After I couldn't handle singer Chris Conley's whine that was more nasally that usual on their last album, their 2007 follow-up Under the Boards was a pleasant surprise. They must be pissed about something throughout this whole disc, but you can't argue with the catchiness or sheer fun-factor of the tunes.

Alberta Cross - The Thief and the Heartbreaker

With only one EP to their name, this is a band that I hope to see much more of in the future. Playing a jangly style of rock, this song starts slow for about a minute, but give it time. It opens itself a bit with a long guitar chord and then breaks out with harmonized choruses and almost psychadelic-style guitars.

T-Pain - Bartender

This is my guilty pleasure song of 2007. Off his new release Epiphany, this was the one song I would consistently hear at bars and clubs that would make me want to get on the floor. It's not epic, it has a simple beat, and it uses synthesized voice (which I don't normally care for), but something about it makes me want to jump in the middle of all the grinding couples and get dirty myself.

The Avett Brothers - The Weight of Lies

This was the most interesting band of 2007 for me. Using primarily an acoustic guitar, a banjo, and an upright bass, this trio has incredible song-writing ability. Now the whole album isn't exactly my thing, but there are some great songs as this one with uplifting harmonies, some moments that make you daydream, and others that make you tap your feet under your desk.

Armor For Sleep - Smile for the Camera

AFS has one of my favorite albums ever with their 2003 release Dream to Make Believe. 2007 marks the year of their third album Smile For Them, and they really have yet to reclaim the magic they used to have. This tune is a straight-forward pop-rock tune that is a pretty fun one to play in the car. Nothing special, but I've had it spinning quite a bit as of late.

Enjoy!

-Kyle

Christmas time is here

It's hard to believe that its already Dec 21st. Granted the 60 degree temps here don't exactly go with the typical Holiday weather I'm used to. But regardless of where you are, it's still the Holiday season. And of course that means Christmas music. It's not my favorite type of music, but it does get me into the spirit for a couple weeks each December. Last year I posted on a couple of my favorite Christmas cds from Nat King Cole and posted a soul compilation of Christmas music as well. I would link those posts to tell you to go check them out if you're new, but let's face it we probably don't have any new readers. And also we switched file servers and those links are long since dead. I still recommend those artists though if you're looking for some quality Christmas music.

My post this year for Christmas music probably won't earn me a lot of music critic credit, but since I already posted on Ricky Martin this year, I say screw it. My music rec for the holiday season this year is a little Harry Connick Jr. That's right I said it.

Harry has fashioned himself in the style of some of the greatest singers of the early twentieth century, Sinatra, Crosby, Martin and all the rest. But Harry isn't anywhere near the singer that any of the original crooners were, and lucky for us he realizes that. Where the other old guys put out their Christmas albums chocked full of ballads that really just capitalized on their ridiculously smooth and full toned voices, Harry has to be a little broader, and he does that with one of my favorite musical additions; a horn section. He throws in a smoking big band horn section with some New Orleans stylings and suddenly his songs are reborn. There's a holiday fire in these big band style Christmas songs that just pumps energy. Sure, the songs are still kind of corny, but thats kind of inevitable with Christmas music.

Now of course there are some ballads, and really those are just tolerable. Harry doesn't have the tone to compete with the old boys, and he sings in a kinda goofy way a lot of the time. But I just skip past those songs, and between his two Christmas albums there's enough upbeat stuff to put together a decent holiday mix. So here's a couple of the songs from these two albums that I really like. This is holiday party music. It's Christmas music that's impossible not to tap your toe to. There's just too much swing, too many horn lines, too much damn Christmas cheer.

Harry Connick Jr - Sleigh Ride

Harry Connick Jr - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Harry Connick Jr - Frosty The Snowman

Harry Connick Jr - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Harry Connick Jr - Santa Claus


Merry Christmas,
Alec

Saturday Afternoon Jazz

I've really been getting back into jazz over the past few months after being mostly soul and blues oriented for about a year now. Maybe it's because it's getting cold again, and I like the chilled out sound. Specifically I have been listening to an album called Just one of Those Things: Lionel Hampton featuring Oscar Peterson.

Oscar Peterson is my personal favorite jazz artist. I just love how he can play the piano in so many different ways. Sometimes he bombards you with note after swinging note, however never feeling overdone. Sometimes he lets the notes hang in the air allowing you to take a deep breath before he hits the next. And often times he provides the smooth and never overpowering backing to other jazz greats. He has an unmistakable style that sets him apart from all other jazz pianists, pushing those he plays with to swing harder, pull the sound out gentler, or just hop in and glide along with him.

Lionel Hampton is one of the world's most renowned vibraphonists (perhaps only after Johnny Lytle or Milt Jackson). His genius comes in the fact that he can turn 4 or 5 keys on the vibraphone into the most stunning solo. He's got rhythm, and he can voice so many things with so few notes in ways that nobody else with mallets can. I love listening to him because I used to play the vibes a little bit, and really appreciate how difficult it is to get the kind of reverbs and sounds he can draw from the instrument.

Here are a few tunes that I'm sure you will enjoy. Not only are they good introductions to jazz and fun to throw on at a classy dinner party, but they showcase two of the all-time greats.

Lionel Hampton and Oscar Peterson - Just One of those Things
This song starts out swinging with Oscar taking the lead. You can even hear his muted grunting and singing right behind his quick keys showing the passion that he has for playing. He then hands the song off to Lionel who begins with his signature 3 note rhythm solo. Breaking out of that, he takes you for a journey up and down the vibraphone that leaves you tapping your foot furiously as you try and keep up with his swing. You'll hear him groaning in the background as well as he just keeps pushing and pushing.

Lionel Hampton and Oscar Peterson - This Can't Be Love
They slow it down here as they play right along with each other. The vibraphone taking the melody, and the piano at first hanging out in back. Soon enough Oscar takes the forefront and showcases that he can not only swing it, but use dynamics to mold a song into his own.

Enjoy!

-Kyle

Calvin Harris

I've never been a huge techno/electronica fan, which probably has been pretty evident over the course of this blog. However, my post today on Calvin Harris somewhat falls under that category, and I'm writing about him for two reasons. 1) Plain and simple I like his music, he combines electronic and funk music into an infectious sound that is really just fun to listen to. 2) In order to somewhat make this a respectable music blog, its important to try and hit upon some artists who are quickly becoming something big, and I think Calvin Harris' popularity is only going to grow, and so its important to share his music now.

So who is Calvin Harris? He's a skinny white kid from Scotland who has a knack for creating energetic, fun electronica songs that have a heavy influence of funk style in them. These elements combined make for a unique music style that is already big in Europe and is beginning to make a name for itself over here. I first learned of Calvin Harris through random facebook wall postings, and only a couple weeks later heard a report from some friends in Europe that his stuff was playing in European clubs and that it was pretty popular over there.

I've really been drawn to his stuff because I think it offers a different perspective on electronic music, something that I've never really been in love with before. His addition of funk styles, as I've mentioned, plus influences of disco make for a sound thats more rhythmic and grooves better. In a way it kind of reminds me of a european version of Head Automatica, but instead of combining funk and disco with pop rock he's mixed in electronica.

Oh and if you need any more convincing, the album title is I Created Disco, just to give you an idea where he's going with the album.

Calvin Harris - Merrymaking At My Place
this is the money song right now, and if you are making a party playlist anytime in the near future this song should be on it

Calvin Harris - Neon Rocks

Calvin Harris - The Girls


-Alec

Big D and the Kids Table

Last night I was able to catch my favorite live band, Big D and the Kids Table, here in Pittsburgh. Big D comes from Boston, MA, always plays an incredible show with tons of energy, and always manages to injure something of Alec or mine whether it be a cellphone or three of Alec's, a few ribs, or a jaw.

Big D's live show normally thrives on raw energy from the band, and chaos in the crowd. The lead singer is constantly bouncing around the stage or on top of the crowd, the bass player is head banging with priceless facial expressions, and the lead guitarist has plenty of solos that make the crowd wiggle many fingers his way. And that doesn't even include the horns, which is what really separates this band from most other garage punk bands. They have style. Parts ska, parts rock, parts punk, and partially insane is what makes this band so much fun. And this last time I saw them, they seemed more polished than ever. Here is a cross-section of their work, which I hope you really enjoy.

Big D and the Kids Table - Wailing Paddle
I'll begin with 'Wailing Paddle' which starts with a lumbering bass line that is sped up by the introduction of a backbeat guitar line. It builds into a mosh-inducing pre-chorus that crashes into the chorus with everybody jumping up and down 'playing the rolls away'.

Big D and the Kids Table - Can't Be Caught
If that little taste of fun didn't quite do it for you, we go on to level 2 with a more traditional ska tune in 'Can't Be Caught'. Opening with horns and ska guitar, containing a sing-a-long chorus, and bouncing the whole way, this song is mad fun.

Big D and The Kids Table - L.A.X.
On to the absolute, hands-down crowd favorite, 'L.A.X.'. If you have ever heard more F-bombs in a song, please let me know. The lyrics are great. Apparently they don't like L.A. that much. And last night, right around 2:06 into the song I timed a jump in the middle of the pit right when he yells 'bleeding'. I may or may not have pretty much crushed an 18 year old boy that ran right under me.

Big D and The Kids Table - Chicago
Lastly, a chill tune if you hated the first three. The horn line was lifted from an old Coltrane tune, and it is named after a city quite dear to me.

-Kyle