Bon Iver (yes, happy winter without the "h"): Frontman Justin Vernon. Well, let me say, the man expresses a unique, and warmly familiar heartbreak and yearning.
I loved the album For Emma, Forever Ago. [no doubt having an impact was Vernon's run-in with Mono, a band breakup, AND a lover breakup too (Wikipedia, 2010)]
Every tune made me feel a sense of longing, a calm after the storm of something that took a lot out of the body and soul...something like lost love haunting the subject - or at least working it's calming numbness - with bouts of pure pain and passion.
I love it in any case - this is the first Bon Iver track that I fell in love with (not true, it was one called Brackett wi, but this one stuck). It's called RE: STACKS...
If you like it, please guide your ears to: The Wolves Act I and II, and Blindsided; both equally amazing in their own special ways.
Enjoy...and don't forget to let me know how you like them - or your reactions.
Happy Labour day long weekend.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
SadSeptemberSongs: September 4, 2010
As a segue from Little Dragon, I would like to now present you with a great Saturday morning tune by Jose Gonzalez.
Yukimi Nagano's muse? or friend? or I dunno what, or how, or when they met or why...but in any case - Jose Gonzalez is top 5 on my list of amazing writers (at the moment, you never know when these things change - I use to think Bryan Adams was pretty amazing).
Also from Sweden, Jose Gonzalez has released two albums, Venner, and In Our Nature. Both are on par with each other and this is very hard to accomplish after a 1st time big success. As a matter of fact, I introduced my boyfriend to the second album first, and he liked it better than Veneer.
I love Jose so much that it is almost impossible for me to choose one song. But for the sake of keeping it "sad" and autumn-like, I will choose one of my favourites: Cycling Trivialities. This one made me cry while I was cleaning one random day years ago now - so out of nowhere heart-wrenching. He has this great vibe of insight and warmth and kindness. Like he wants to always spread love around - in every song, even the dark ones.
The version I've found includes Yukimi and is live for a telethon (not sure which cause, maybe someone can figure it out for me).
Have a great Saturday morning - until tomorrow. Enjoy
Yukimi Nagano's muse? or friend? or I dunno what, or how, or when they met or why...but in any case - Jose Gonzalez is top 5 on my list of amazing writers (at the moment, you never know when these things change - I use to think Bryan Adams was pretty amazing).
Also from Sweden, Jose Gonzalez has released two albums, Venner, and In Our Nature. Both are on par with each other and this is very hard to accomplish after a 1st time big success. As a matter of fact, I introduced my boyfriend to the second album first, and he liked it better than Veneer.
I love Jose so much that it is almost impossible for me to choose one song. But for the sake of keeping it "sad" and autumn-like, I will choose one of my favourites: Cycling Trivialities. This one made me cry while I was cleaning one random day years ago now - so out of nowhere heart-wrenching. He has this great vibe of insight and warmth and kindness. Like he wants to always spread love around - in every song, even the dark ones.
The version I've found includes Yukimi and is live for a telethon (not sure which cause, maybe someone can figure it out for me).
Have a great Saturday morning - until tomorrow. Enjoy
Thursday, September 2, 2010
SadSeptemberSongs: September 3, 2010
Song of the day: Little Dragon "Twice"
I have recently been turned on to Little Dragon despite my best efforts not to take well to Yukimi Nagano. She might just bother me because I'm jealous --- which is highly likely because she's absolutely aesthetically perfect to look upon, has this stoic sense of maturity both musically and personally (from what I've seen), and has killer pipes. Oh, and did I mention that her writing style is both refreshing and soulful?
I was introduced to her accidentally while indulging in my love for Jose Gonzalez live on YouTube. She sings back-up for Gonzalez and does a pretty humble job of it too.
"Little Dragon is an electronic music band, based in Gothenburg, Sweden. It consists of Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano (vocals, percussion) and her close high-school friends Erik Bodin (drums), Captain Källgren Crunch (bass), and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards)." (Wikipedia, 2010)
It's just beautiful and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
I have recently been turned on to Little Dragon despite my best efforts not to take well to Yukimi Nagano. She might just bother me because I'm jealous --- which is highly likely because she's absolutely aesthetically perfect to look upon, has this stoic sense of maturity both musically and personally (from what I've seen), and has killer pipes. Oh, and did I mention that her writing style is both refreshing and soulful?
I was introduced to her accidentally while indulging in my love for Jose Gonzalez live on YouTube. She sings back-up for Gonzalez and does a pretty humble job of it too.
"Little Dragon is an electronic music band, based in Gothenburg, Sweden. It consists of Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano (vocals, percussion) and her close high-school friends Erik Bodin (drums), Captain Källgren Crunch (bass), and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards)." (Wikipedia, 2010)
It's just beautiful and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
SadSeptemberSongs: September 2, 2010
Going with the general folk-feel of the last post, I want to share with you one of my favourite Sufjan Stevens tunes.
This one is sad - the lyrics are everything in this song - Stevens is an incredibly gifted writer and his words are as epic, and as cinematic as his music.
It's called Casimir Pulaski Day, from the album Illinoise (2005)
here's a live version of the song that I love - except for the fact that it's out of sync. But maybe you can just close your eyes and appreciate the 'liveness' of it on a sound level alone.
(if you're interested, also listen to "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois" and everything else by him for that matter, cause it's all THAT amazing)
This one is sad - the lyrics are everything in this song - Stevens is an incredibly gifted writer and his words are as epic, and as cinematic as his music.
It's called Casimir Pulaski Day, from the album Illinoise (2005)
here's a live version of the song that I love - except for the fact that it's out of sync. But maybe you can just close your eyes and appreciate the 'liveness' of it on a sound level alone.
(if you're interested, also listen to "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois" and everything else by him for that matter, cause it's all THAT amazing)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
SadSeptemberSongs: September 1st, 2010
I was finishing a shift at Burritoville almost two years ago when I first experienced what I thought were some of the most beautiful songs I'd ever heard . I walked into the main diningroom and began to listen to Tim Crabtree (songwriter/guitarist/vocalist) along with two musicians (cello and I think a small toy piano) about 1/4 of the way through their set. My two good friends were sitting in the corner and I went to sit with them.
Under the name Paper Beat Scissors, they began to play Flicker.
All at once the room became a church...everything was richly covered in a sacred moment of genuinely captured emotion and musical magic. I grabbed a glance at my friend - both our eyes were filled with tears that we physiologically couldn't hold back, we were so moved by this piece of music.
Tim Crabtree's music is such that it MUST be seen live at some point - even if you're already a fan. Brings it to a whole new level. I've seen him twice at Burritoville and it's absolutely inspiring. So - another Canadian to love...Paper Beat Scissors is my first official choice for September 1st, 2010.
This is Flicker - amazingly beautiful and real...such a haunted, nostalgic, heartbreak of a song. A quiet chaos.
for more info:
www.myspace.com/paperbeatscissors
Under the name Paper Beat Scissors, they began to play Flicker.
All at once the room became a church...everything was richly covered in a sacred moment of genuinely captured emotion and musical magic. I grabbed a glance at my friend - both our eyes were filled with tears that we physiologically couldn't hold back, we were so moved by this piece of music.
Tim Crabtree's music is such that it MUST be seen live at some point - even if you're already a fan. Brings it to a whole new level. I've seen him twice at Burritoville and it's absolutely inspiring. So - another Canadian to love...Paper Beat Scissors is my first official choice for September 1st, 2010.
This is Flicker - amazingly beautiful and real...such a haunted, nostalgic, heartbreak of a song. A quiet chaos.
for more info:
www.myspace.com/paperbeatscissors
ATTENTION: Sad September is nigh...
And with that said, I've decided to post one song a day to express my melancholy flair and address the beauty of a well-written sad song.
I'll take a moment to remind you that some of my choices will not be available on the internet as a link - and so you might have to search for them yourself (Grooveshark/google search/etc)
however, I will try to post a link to the song when I can.
I can't wait to start - yeah for the end of blinding sunshine.
as a sneak-peak kicker-offer, let me suggest you listen to Canadian Mike Milosh's The City
enjoy, and PLEASE let me know how they make you feel, if you like them...etc.
I'll take a moment to remind you that some of my choices will not be available on the internet as a link - and so you might have to search for them yourself (Grooveshark/google search/etc)
however, I will try to post a link to the song when I can.
I can't wait to start - yeah for the end of blinding sunshine.
as a sneak-peak kicker-offer, let me suggest you listen to Canadian Mike Milosh's The City
enjoy, and PLEASE let me know how they make you feel, if you like them...etc.
Friday, August 6, 2010
the canal.
The wind is crazy here.
and I think about things that defined where I was before
and I think about the void of what it all means.
We talked about how your surroundings might not have a thing to do with happiness.
but then "La Vie en Rose" played live outside my window last night - and I thought that I might be in Heaven.
and then I thought that there are so many things that make heaven on earth.
like wind.
or, "La Vie en Rose"
or legs wrapped around legs
rain on the roof-top
so many mantras of what will make you happy
confidence
honesty
"self-help": the most lucrative section in the bookstore.
books. good ones. Long ones that you hope will never end...
not the "self-help" kind.
I do not really have a mantra.
I am one of those who can be anywhere and happy -
that is, if I'm in the right head space.
'don't really matter where I am.'
It can be Heaven in my heart...
it can be...
and the truth about happiness is that, for me,
the hope that I might get it back - or keep it, or eventually learn to sustain it,
is what drives me.
and I think about things that defined where I was before
and I think about the void of what it all means.
We talked about how your surroundings might not have a thing to do with happiness.
but then "La Vie en Rose" played live outside my window last night - and I thought that I might be in Heaven.
and then I thought that there are so many things that make heaven on earth.
like wind.
or, "La Vie en Rose"
or legs wrapped around legs
rain on the roof-top
so many mantras of what will make you happy
confidence
honesty
"self-help": the most lucrative section in the bookstore.
books. good ones. Long ones that you hope will never end...
not the "self-help" kind.
I do not really have a mantra.
I am one of those who can be anywhere and happy -
that is, if I'm in the right head space.
'don't really matter where I am.'
It can be Heaven in my heart...
it can be...
and the truth about happiness is that, for me,
the hope that I might get it back - or keep it, or eventually learn to sustain it,
is what drives me.
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