I've been obsessed with...

a few different songs this week. I mean literally, they're just about all I've been shuffling through.

The first two songs are the same but since I discovered the original artist through the cover I've got to provide both. Delta Spirit did a version back in February over on Daytrotter.com of A.A. Bondy's song "Lover's Waltz." I was so taken aback that I didn't even realize it was a cover at first.

Needless to say I found out that the amazing song is off of an older AA Bondy album, American Hearts. Very good, though "Lover's Waltz" clearly sticks out on the album above everything else like a sore thumb.

The other stuff has funny discoveries too.

John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy" written to his son Sean, basically came about through a YouTube video of Paul crying over John's death on YouTube.

The Black Key's "The Lengths" is off their older album Rubber Factory which I just decided is one of my favorite albums of all time. Solid throughout, modern blues rock. Auerbach's guitar, I mean, good god. The guy can play. This specific song though has some of the best lyrics I've ever heard, sung right over a perfectly crying guitar.

"tell me where you're goin
what is goin wrong
I felt you leavin
before you'd even gone
hold me now
never ever hold me again
no more talk
can take me from this pain I'm in
pain I'm in"

And finally, Why?'s "This Blackest Purse." The band is based out of Oakland I believe, so they're locals too. But man, this song is beautiful with the beginning piano and all of the other elements incorporated later on - background vocals, synthesizer noises, and the rap-sound of the lead singer Yoni Wolf.

I think there's something to be said about finding things when you need them.
I'm not sure what that something is, but it's there.
I've got midterms next week, along with my birthday, and Treasure Island Festival Weekend.
And I get to finally see my woman.
Getting through this past week would've been quite hard without these tunes.

Here's to 18 years next Tuesday!

Delta Spirit - Lover's Waltz (A.A. Bondy Cover)
A.A. Bondy - Lover's Waltz
John Lennon - Beautiful Boy
Black Keys - The Lengths
Why? - This Blackest Purse

"I Really Want To Be Your Friend Forever..."

Monday the 28th. It's nearly October! October is borderline crazy-jam-packed-IknowI'mgoingtowantmoretime month! AHH!

Still, I seem to be taking all of this above data in rather calmly. Sipping on a glass of orange juice and eating nearly moldy toast with peanut butter? Quite the calm experience.

To keep myself from going crazy in October (oh yeah, did I mention I don't get to see my significant other for quite some time???), I've got to rely on my one fallback-- music. Thus, I've done the unthinkable...the world of torrents and immediate satisfaction. I'm still a little mixed on how I feel about downloading full albums so easily. As most of you may know, buying CDs is still part of my life.

Anyway, here's three songs for today. More new Girls, some old-school My Morning Jacket and new Atlas Sound (off of their upcoming Oct. 20th release, Logos) And because she's home sick today, these all are dedicated to my wonderful Genevieve. Get some rest girl.


Girls - Laura
My Morning Jacket - Sweetheart
Atlas Sound - Quick Canal (feat. Laetitia Sadier)

Foggy Wednesday Nights

My absence dragged on again, busy with school this week. I've been trying to fit music into my busy schedule still though. Bought the new, self-titled Monsters of Folk album yesterday, no surprise there- I'm a giant fan of anything Jim James lays his angelic, reverb-laced vocals on.



And I somehow found myself standing in a record store the past weekend looking for Brendan Benson, only to come across the new Beatles re-masters. Of course I couldn't resist, and quickly picked up the new (but old!) White Album. Very well-put together. Over on NPR's "All Songs Considered" podcast last week they brought on a Beatles historian to talk about what's new on the re-masters. Among the obvious sound quality improvements is notice to fine details. Certain songs have more of the original sounds on them (over time the vinyl to CD transformation lost details like that). Anyway, hard to go wrong with anything the Beatles have done. I mean, seriously folks, it's the Beatles.

I'm back from my late Wednesday night class now. Alive and kicking with energy. So I figured I'd post some new music that I've found especially brilliant this week.

New Alberta Cross (I'd call them a cross between Delta Spirit and Company of Thieves maybe?), new Girls (fantastic little pop/old school band from right here in SF!), new Land of Talk, and new Monsters of Folk. Here's to this weekend!

New Alberta Cross streaming over at www.albertacross.net

Girls - Lust For Life
Land of Talk - May You Never
Monsters of Folk - Whole Lotta Losin'

You Go Out Of The Loop For Awhile...

...and you lose updates for certain things.

Since my last post here I've started my college career at SF State and moved into the beautiful city of San Francisco. It's exciting, scary, bold, independent, and memorable all at the same time. But then again, what isn't?

I've tried to keep a close eye on new music throughout my move/start of school but I can't say that I've done a great job. I usually try and judge whether or not I'm watching new music by what's currently in my iTunes "Recently Added" playlist. As I type this I've got some Brendan Benson, Amy Winehouse, Camera Obscura, VEGA, Farmer Dave and Sea Wolf. Some of it's current right?

Anyway, I'm considering going to see Brendan Benson at the Great American Music Hall tonight. He's pretty much in my top 5 favorite guitarists list:

1. Jim James (My Morning Jacket)

2. Dan Auerbach (Black Keys)

3.Jack White (White Stripes, Raconteurs, Dead Weather)

4. Brendan Benson (Raconteurs)

5. Nick Zinner (YYY's)

Brendan Benson - Don't Wanna Talk

Summer Music

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zero's. It's a freakin' mouthful of a band name. And also a very well-crafted summertime album.

I downloaded the whole thing today finally, after digging the main single "Janglin'" off their pre-album EP, Here Comes.

For some odd reason though, they toned down the album version of that song. I'm not sure why. But whatever the reason, I'm posting the EP version as I feel it personally "jangles" more.

Some random items:
- I was told to "be good kid" by a donations collector outside of Safeway today. Made my day.
- Oregon folks are very nice people.
- Avoid Highway 101 if you're towing a trailer.
- Avoid the town of Ashland, Oregon all together.
- My new camera lens rocks.

Hope you're all enjoying summer.


Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's - 40 Day Dream
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's - Janglin

Monsters of Decision

Back into the blogging world I come. I'm here and ready to type about things again. The ol' MySpace blog simply doesn't cut it anymore.

Monsters of Folk (Jim James (fuck yes), Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Mike Mogis) just announced their US and Europe tour dates today.

You can find em' here.

I'm pissed that they've decided to play in my area on the same day that the third annual Treasure Island Music Festival takes place. But what can I doooo? I'm simply a young fan with no power.

Aside from that today, I woke up today and started thinking about tattoo ideas. Obviously it must be music-oriented. I think I'm going to take to some sketches this week just to get a few ideas flowing. Think SF skyline blending into guitar/music note/headphones. I can picture it now.

(I tried linking a few songs here but Boxstr.com isn't working at all today. May try again later)

Amazon MP3 Deals

So if you're an Amazon.com fan, you've no doubt seen their MP3 of the day download deals. They've had a lot of hit and miss ones and even a few that I regret not checking out (Hold Steady's "Boys & Girls in America" a few weeks ago). But today they have one of my personal favorite albums of the last 3 years, Andrew Bird's genius "Armchair Apocrypha" - for the ripe deal of only 1.99!

Check it here.