Winter Song Roundup

April? May? Maybe even June.

When things like this come up on your weather forecast, what month is it? Spring, maybe? Perhaps mid-fall? Right.

That was today’s forecast.  And in case you have been cooped up in Mugar for a few days without a calendar, today is December 6th. I wore a sweater and a light jacket today.  My warm winter coat hangs dejectedly in my closet, alongside my winter boots, confused as to why they have been ignored since that freak blizzard on Halloween.  For those of you who are new to Boston, this is not normal winter weather.  Sure, we have our oddities–the Halloween blizzard, June tornadoes, and one time, three feet of snow on April Fool’s day–but a week of 50-60 degree weather in Boston in December is. Not. Okay.

Remember back in middle school (and, let’s be honest–high school too.  And sometimes college) when you would hear a snow forecast on the news and do various snow-day rituals, hoping to coerce the Weather Gods into dumping feet upon feet of glorious school-canceling snow on the town? Let’s try that.

Here’s a roundup of some of my favorite winter songs.  Most of them don’t really have to do with snow.  But maybe they’ll inspire the clouds to release us from this springlike hell and finally drop the temperatures a little bit.  And I know, come February, I’ll probably post about how cold it is and how I just want summer, but for now, it just needs to feel like December.

Fleet Foxes, “White Winter Hymnal”
I know I’ve posted this before, but it’s just so good. Classic Fleet Foxes.

Rasputina, “The Fox in the Snow”
A friend and I bought her album My Fever Broke back in 2005 or so…just because the cover caught our eye.  And it was like $5.  And apparently, she just played BMH right before the aforementioned snowstorm.  The violins here are great, and her voice is really unique.  In a good way.

The Head and the Heart, “Winter Song”
Another fantastic track from The Head and the Heart. As always.

And last, but not least, for good measure:

Happy Tuesday! Good luck with all your work, and don’t forget your warm socks…just in case =)

Reese

S is for Superawesome

It’s poetry time.

Mainly because obviously I’m having phone problems and George Watsky is clearly the next best thing to videos from the Blind Pilot show.

This is George Watsky.

Dig the shades.

Right?

He’s from San Francisco, but went to Emerson here in Boston.  He was the 2006 Youth Speaks Grand Slam Poetry Champion.  And the 2006 Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam Champion.  And performed in a record six consecutive Youth Speaks Grand Slam Finals, the last three of which drew audiences of over 3,000 people, which are the largest ever for poetry slams anywhere in the world. What. Oh, and also he’s performed at the Apollo Theater, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, the San Francisco Opera House and the Shrine Auditorium.  Again, what.

So I’m just going to post some videos for your listening pleasure.  And watching pleasure.  Because he’s adorable. Also, follow him on twitter: @gwatsky.  Seriously, he’s incredible.

“S is for Lisp” (hence, title of post)

“Pale Kid Raps Fast”

“Letter to My 16-Year-Old Self”

Happy Tuesday!

Reese

Live Twitter Feed: Blind Pilot

Hey all!

So tonight instead of a regular blog post, I’ll be live tweeting video and photos of Blind Pilot live at the Paradise. To check it out, follow me on twitter at @thelastlstein (and while you’re there, check out the BU Central twitter, @bucentral!).
I’ll be back next week with a regular post!

Happy Tuesday!

Reese

Best New Find: November edition

A year ago tomorrow, LA-based Lord Huron (aka Ben Schneider) self-released their second EP, Mighty, and unfortunately, I only heard them for the first time last week. Echo-y like Animal Collective but with a slightly electronic feel reminiscent of US Royalty, Lord Huron’s tracks have a homey, warm feel–a la the Head and the Heart–a dynamic which evades most artists until their later, more advanced albums.  The banjo background in “Stranger” is a perfect soundtrack for a night in with a mug of tea and a good book (for those few and far between nights when I’m not watching Jersey Shore…no judgements), and soft but constant drum-like, plucky strings and vague vocals in “Into the Sun” are perfect for paper-writing.  Most of the songs have a lush, dreamy tone, which serves as the perfect base point for watery, ambling vocals and smooth instrumentals (see: “We Went Wild”).  Overall, the perfect new addition to my iTunes library.  They don’t have any upcoming tour dates scheduled for Boston (they were here last week), but I’m definitely going to keep them in mind over the next few months.

 

 

 

 

See you next week!

Reese

Back to Brown Bird

Hey all!

The other week I when posted about the Brown Bird show, I mentioned their new album, Salt for Salt, would be out today! Well, it is! Digital downloads came out last week, but I managed to hold off until now. So, without (much) further ado, my favorite tracks from Salt for Salt.

Shiloh

Ebb and Flow

Come My Way

 

Thoughts? Have you heard the whole album? What are your favorites?

Happy Tuesday! See you next week =)

Reese

Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time, there was a blogger named Reese.  She was at Newport Folk Festival one super-gross and hot Sunday, and on her way from the Quad stage to the Fort stage to grab something from her backpack (which was on her blanket), she passed the Harbor stage.  And on the Harbor stage was a band.  And that band sounded super cool, so this blogger consulted her schedule to see who this fantastically awesome band was…and they were called the Head and the Heart.  Unfortunately, all Blogger Reese could do was dance awkwardly as she walked by, because she was in the process of saving seats at the Quad stage for M. Ward and needed to get back there ASAP.  However, she noted that this band was rad, and decided to google them on iPhone Dan’s iPhone. And she found out they were playing a show in September in Boston!

The End. Kind of.

So two Fridays ago (9/30) I finally saw the Head and the Heart at Royale.  They are seriously fantastic, high-energy, and fun, and Royale seemed almost too serious a venue.  They are perfect for a Harbor Stage or a Paradise or even a Middle East, but Royale, as a club, kind of takes itself too seriously (with its faux-Baroque decor and giant gilded lions…no joke. I was sitting next to one).

Anyways, THATH is comprised of six highly collaborative, multi-talented individuals, who you can read more about here.  It’s indicative, I think, of their band vibe that vocal-/guitar-/percussionist Jonathan Russell wore no shoes, just gray and blue striped socks.  Charity Rose Thielen was superb on violin, and adorably fidgety (but still fantastic) when she was just singing, sans strings. The whole band totally fed off the audience, and during “Down In the Valley” the whole crowd spontaneously broke into the chorus and refrain. One of the best aspects of the show was that since they only have one album out (self-titled), everyone pretty much knew all of their songs.  Overall, fantastic show, and they may be one of my new favorite bands.

Some choice selections (all in a row off their album):

“Couer D’Alene” 

“Ghosts” 

“Down in the Valley” 

“Rivers and Roads” 

(Also, “Rivers and Roads” is reportedly about City Year, obviously very near and dear to my heart…so, yeah, there’s that.)

That’s all for this week! See you next Tuesday!

Reese

Brown Bird

One thing I really love about local bands is that they’re excited to come home.  They always just seem so glad to be playing to an audience who knows and loves them as a hometown band.  Now, Brown Bird is from just across the state border in Providence, but when they played at Great Scott on the 22nd (with two even more local bands, Coyote Kolb and Red Heroine–formerly Mr. Sister–both of Boston) they played like they belonged there on that stage, with unstifled enthusiasm and an unapologetic power.  David Lamb, who plays guitar, banjo, percussion, and sings, was going so hard he sweated out the inputs on two different guitars.  Morganeve Swain rocked out more than I’ve ever seen anyone on an upright bass (and fiddle…and cello…and she also sings), and the overall effect was excellent.

I don’t really think I need to say much; they pretty much speak for themselves. You know how I’m all about melody and lyrics, and Brown Bird pretty much nails it.

“Bilgewater,” from their EP The Sound of Ghosts, and off their upcoming Salt for Salt: Rhythmic and smooth, but also builds up in a way that makes you kind of just have to move with it. Also, Swain’s background repetition is so perfect it seems as though it’s just organically coming out of the song.

“Cast No Shadow,” also also off TSoG and Salt for Salt: Swain’s genius with a fiddle, Lamb’s deft manipulation of multiple percussives, and their layered vocals totally remind me of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”.  And I mean that in a really good way.

I’m excited for their new album.  A lot of the new material they played at the show seemed to have a foreign traditional folk character, with a sort of rhythmic precision. And maybe they took a trip to Spain, because there’s also a lot of Spanish influence, especially in the guitar.

Salt for Salt, out October 18th.  I’ve already pre-ordered…have you?

Back next Tuesday with The Head and the Heart!

A Big Ol’ Slice of Pie

Humble Pie.

This is Humble Pie.

Glorious gods of sixties/seventies funk rock, not the other kind.  And let’s be honest, I’m going to be seriously impressed if anyone out there reading has ever heard of them.   Despite their sweet threads and seriously fabulous moustaches, I hadn’t heard of them until today, when my academic advisor, wealth of information that he is, so helpfully (read: unwittingly) provided the fodder for today’s post (Brown Bird post will be postponed until next week!).  From what I can discern via Wikipedia and YouTube, they have four major hits*, and they are actually surprisingly good.  Definitely a break from my usual material, but different is good, right?  I’ll be back to indie folk next week, but for now, enjoy this little slice of Humble Pie**.

“Natural Born Boogie” – 1968; debut single, peaked at #4 on UK charts.  The title speaks for itself, I think.

“Shine On” – 1971; a little slow, a little smooth.  Pretty mellow, as far as Humble Pie goes.

“30 Days in the Hole” – 1972; the opening vocals are fantastic, and overall this is a little less aggressive than “Doctor.” But really, the vocals are great. And they use maracas.

“Black Coffee” –  1973; peaked at #113 on US Billboard charts.  Funkiest of the bunch.  It’s almost onomatopoetic, really–I’m pretty sure this is what black coffee would sound like if it had a soundtrack every time you poured some.  And I’m sure there’s some non-literal meaning there, but I’m not even going to consider that.  Skip to 0:38 for the music to start.

Next week: Brown Bird and/or The Head and the Heart!

Happy Tuesday!
Reese

*”Shine On” isn’t considered one of their hits, but I like it better than “I Don’t Need No Doctor.”
**Terrible joke. I apologize.

a “gleecap” of sorts…

Hey all!
So tonight at 8 is the season premiere of GLEE (!!!), and I figured I’d post some videos inspired by classic Glee favorites. Ready?

Okay, so this piece of “improvisational” genius is from Italy–apparently to celebrate the launch of the Jan. 2010 season.  Really, I wish I could see one of these in real life.  The best part is that it’s a mashup…don’t be deceived by the first few minutes.  Also, they chose some really fantastic numbers.  All the way from Rome…: Il Flashmob!

Another GleeMob (yes? no?)…really, these flashmobs are great.  And the first 75 seconds are really just too good.  And while the choreography in the first one is good, it’s clear that the first gleeks are really dancers.  Also also, I’m super loving the fact that the mob isn’t just tweens-college students, there are some mom- and dad-types in there too.  As the guy at the end says: “Why does that stop?! That should never stop! It should always keep going!” And the guy at 2:55…priceless. Watch and love:

I’ve got an international theme going…here’s one from Ireland.  Not to give a spoiler, but really, who doesn’t love some good air guitar? (1:48).

And finally, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The angle it’s filmed from is kinda odd, but it’s totally worth it! It’s pretty cool they coordinated this with people on multiple floors of the mall. Last but not least:

And if this gleecap isn’t enough, come by BU Central tonight at 8 for the season premiere! Hope to see you soon!

And thanks for reading =)

Reese

Summer Recap

Hey there!

I hope you’re settling into your fall routines nicely! I know I definitely love the fact that I have an organized schedule come every September;  however, I’m sure that you, like me, miss the indefiniteness of the summer a whole lot once the school year starts.  Since finals last May, I pretty much crammed my days full of as many live shows as possible…so today, to pay homage to the lovely (and sadly gone) days of summer, I’m just going to post some samplings of who I heard and saw over the past four months.

NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL

This just needs to be here.  It’s not like I sat in the audience with my jaw hanging open not breathing or anything. No, but really. These kids are not even in high school. What. (PS22 Chorus performs Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”)

—

Middle Brother (composed of the frontmen of Deer Tick, Dawes, and Delta Spirit) performed quite the set at NFF…basically, their entire repertoire. iPhone Dan thinks I should post different songs, but I like this one.  Really, they were all great, and they have an awesome range of mellow to upbeat, so if you’re interested, check out their page. (Middle Brother, “Million Dollar Bill”)

—

VIKESH KAPOOR FEAT. MR. SISTER (LILYPAD LOUNGE)

Vikesh Kapoor, a BU grad (COM ’09), is pretty popular in the Boston area.  He’s been written up in BU Today and the Phoenix, and in 2010 he was nominated as one of Boston’s Best Folk Artists.  ”Willy Robbins” is one of those great story-telling songs, where you’re listening as much to the music as you are to the lyrics.

—

You’ve heard me gush about Mr. Sister (Amelia Emmet) before, and I was lucky enough to see her again in August.  This is my favorite song of hers, from her album O, Sinister Force: “Hard Love”. So. Good.

That’s all for now, I think.  Next week: …we’ll see.  I had a plan, and then I realized my next show isn’t until next Thursday.  It’ll be a surprise.  Happy Tuesday!

Reese