I Need My Girl

Perfection from The National. Happy Valentine's Day.

CES Cru - Juice Feat. Tech N9ne

One too many cups of coffee this evening...although that is is helping me with some writing that I am a little behind on but just pushing up to a deadline with. This is the tune that is on repeat. Like it or hate it, I think you will understand my caffeinated state when you listen to this one. PS - This one is NSFW.

I don't know, maybe it is just me. I'm a fan of bluegrass, country, jazz, Americana, classical music and any other genre you can name I think. I can listen to this beat and appreciate the pace, rhythm and flow of hip hop and am pretty much in awe at the speed and flow of this work.

Sometimes I thought I could live there forever...

I have my "go to" musicians for specific times or moods. NIN or Beethoven for when I am writing proposal responses - wide swing in tastes there but I find that either works wonders for my creative writing skills. Ludovico Einaudi is reserved for when I need to relax and escape. I've been enjoying his album In a Time Lapse recently. If you have never listened to his compositions before, you are in for a special treat if you pick up this or any other pieces from his catalogue.  Here he is talking about his work.

Here is the official video for Walk, off of the same album. Enjoy.

So life take all your terror

"And I recall when I thought I had a plan 

The sun and moon and stars seemed to slip right through my hands 

But remember that failure is part of being alive 

I guess I let it take away my pride 

One too many times." 

- John Moreland, God's Medicine

I'm not quite sure how to introduce this music. But I do know he is coming to Lafayette, LA on November 3rd and I know I will be there. Here is one of many songs that pretty much made me stop what I was doing tonight, read lyrics, and watch him sing this song at least three times.

I’ve been living with a curse
Combing through the pages of my youth
There’s a million soggy miles
Soaking through the soles of my shoes
And I’ve been staying up all night
I don’t give a damn to sleep anymore
My eyelids are heavy
But my dreams don’t sing like before
And I apologize a thousand times for holding up the show
I always had the words, but they don’t quite know where to go
You said give me one good reason, now give me 20 more
Don’t give yourself away to settle someone else’s score
I got the guiltiest conscience
Listening for a savior on a Saturday night
I got my ear to the ground
You got Easter Sunday in your eyes
And I apologize if I seem a little overwhelmed
I’m thirsty, but the holy keep on pissing in my well
I had a purpose and a song that was true
But I ain’t ever had a lick of sense when it comes to you
So try to be patient, try to understand
I’m a child, trying to do the work of a man
My pockets are empty, I don’t own a thing
But I’d take a diamond from the sky and put it in your ring

And as a bonus, here is a song called God's Medicine. Really excited to see John swing through Lafayette. The quote at the top of this post is from the tune below.

I got a plan

Ok. Trying something new with the Monthly Mix. Underneath the track listing you will find an embedded playlist from YouTube to hear the entire mix...kind of. The mix has mostly studio versions but YouTube provides a chance to grab some live performances of the same songs, so where available, and where the sound quality was good, I took that route. There was only one song that I couldn't find an acceptable cut of so track 19 won't be found below. Enjoy.

(...or go to YouTube and watch the full playlist here if something with this experiment goes wrong.)

1. Get Me Golden    Ξ  Terraplane Sun

2. I Want You Back  Ξ  Lake Street Dive

3. Sunshine  Ξ  Court Yard Hounds

4. Live Oak  Ξ  Jason Isbell

5. Silver and Gold  Ξ  Trampled By Turtles

6. Highwayman  Ξ  The White Buffalo

7. Sinners  Ξ  The Rouge

8. She's Gone  Ξ  The Morrison Brothers Band

9. Dig Down Deep  Ξ  Vandaveer

10. Love Will Be Enough  Ξ  Seabird

11. Ya Never Know  Ξ  Terraplane Sun

12. Further On  Ξ  Bronze Radio Return

13. Love Like This  Ξ  Kodaline

14. Operated  Ξ  Rogue Wave

15. What It Is  Ξ  Kodaline

16. Grow  Ξ  Wake Owl

17. I Don't Want to Know  Ξ  The Swell Season

18. Rivers  Ξ  Bipolar Sunshine

19. Bastards of the Highway  Ξ  John Moreland & The Black Gold Band

20. I Need My Girl  Ξ  The National

21. Memories & Dust  Ξ  Josh Pyke

22. Des Fois (Sometimes)  Ξ  The Revelers  

Mandolin Orange

Discovered this band this weekend courtesy of Hear Ya and am pretty sure that not only is it excellent, it makes me want to use the adjective "pure." Great for some lazy weekend reading out on the back porch here in Lafayette.

Train Song:

Runnin' Red

destined for the screen

1. Riptide  `  Vance Joy

2. Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams)  `  Daft Punk

3. San Francisco  `  The Mowgli's

4. The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?)  `  Snow Patrol

5. Take Me to Tomorrow  `  Dave Matthews

6. Chain Gang  `  Freshlyground

7. Come Around  `  Transplants

8. Sun up Sun Down (feat. Christian Campbell)  `  Brooke White

9. Darcy Farrow  `  Josh Ritter & Barnstar!

10. The Moorings  `  Andrew Duhon

11. Leeward Side  `  Josh Pyke

12. Paradise  `  City and Colour

13. Young Fathers  `  Typhoon

14. Something Missing (feat. The Mowgli's)  `  Jensen Reed

15. You & I  `  Crystal Fighters

16. I Don’t Mind  `  Sebadoh

17. Fall At Your Feet  `  Boy & Bear

18. From Afar  `  Vance Joy

19. Jolene  `  Ewert and the Two Dragons

20. The Hurry and the Harm  `  City and Colour

21. St. Louis Gal  `  Cécile McLorin Salvant

What Is It, Banjo?

1. Au Revoir (Adios)  ~  The Front Bottoms

2. Love Me Like the World Is Ending  ~  Ben Lee

3. Chocolate  ~  The 1975

4. Nobody Gives a Damn About Songs Anymore  ~  John Moreland

5. As I Roved Out  ~  Sam Amidon

6. The Three Minute Mark  ~  Hallelujah the Hills

7. You & Me  ~  Luke Winslow-King

8. Sea of Love  ~  The National

9. Twin Size Mattress  ~  The Front Bottoms

10. Lifetime  ~  Jack Savoretti

11. The a Team  ~  Ed Sheeran

12. Sweet Tennessee  ~  Judah & the Lion

13. My Old Friend  ~  Sam Amidon

14. Ella Speed  ~  Luke Winslow-King

15. High School Lover  ~  Cayucas

16. Bright Sunny South  ~  Sam Amidon

17. Graceless ~  The National

18. Beg Steal or Borrow  ~  Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs

19. Ísjaki  ~  Sigur Rós

20. Lightning Bolt  ~  Jake Bugg

21. This Is the Last Time  ~  The National

life is fine as it flutters

1. Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra)  ~  Gotye

2. Twenty Miles to NH (Part 2)  ~  The National

3. Venice  ~  The Lighthouse and The Whaler

4. Miles and Mud Tires  ~  Granger Smith

5. The Way I Tend To Be  ~  Frank Turner

6. Delicate Cycle  ~  The Uncluded

7. Timeless  ~  The Airborne Toxic Event

8. Time to Run  ~  Lord Huron

9. Joshua  ~  Bobby McFerrin

10. Purple Yellow Red and Blue  ~  Portugal. The Man

11. Rose Tattoo (feat. Bruce Springsteen)  ~  Dropkick Murphys

12. Lightning Bolt  ~  Jake Bugg

13. Invisible  ~  Steve Earle & The Dukes (& Duchesses)

14. There Will Come A Time  ~  Noah and the Whale

15. Dannyboy  ~  Youngblood Hawke

16. MoneyGrabber  ~  Fitz & The Tantrums

17. Little Lovin'  ~  Lissie

18. Most People  ~  Dawes

19. Madness  ~  Aaron Moses

20. Little Vessels  ~  The Lighthouse and The Whaler   

Vance Joy - Riptide

This song is on repeat tonight a few times. Pretty awesome tune.

I was scared of dentists and the dark,
I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations,
Oh all my friends are turning green,
You're the magicians assistant in their dreams.
Oh, and they come unstuck
Lady, running down to the riptide,
taken away to the dark side,
I wanna be your left hand man.
I love you when you're singing that song and,
I got a lump in my throat 'cause
you're gonna sing the words wrong

Smokin' Guns and Other Clues

1.      New Lover  ~  Josh Ritter

2.      Day Dreams  ~  Midi Matilda

3.      From California  ~  The New Amsterdams

4.      Red Hands  ~  Walk Off the Earth

5.      Green Garden  ~  Laura Mvula

6.      Fur Coat Blues  ~  Jamestown Revival

7.     Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz)  ~  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

8.      Iron  ~  Woodkid

9.      Grace for Saints and Ramblers  ~  Iron & Wine

10.   Trouble Town  ~  Jake Bugg

11.   You Should've Seen the Other Guy  ~  Nathaniel Rateliff

12.   Ordinary Fool  ~  Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis

13.   Chez Keith Et Anita  ~  Carla Bruni

14.   Heart's Ease  ~  Josh Ritter

15.   Two Fingers  ~  Jake Bugg

16.   What Would I Do Without You  ~  Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors

17.   How'm I Gonna Get Back Home  ~  He's My Brother She's My Sister

18.   Safety Rope  ~  Mick Flannery

19.   Trojans  ~  Atlas Genius

20.   She  ~  Laura Mvula

21.   Bleeding Out  ~  Imagine Dragons

22.   Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton)  ~  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

I'ma take your grandpa's style (NSFW)

Yes, I like this song (Thrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis). It qualifies as what some of you may think of as a guilty pleasure, what all of you will claim as NSFW (which I almost never, ever post), and a tune that I think almost everyone would agree is a really funky awesome rhythm...which even led my wife to say to me "...I can't believe you have me singing this chorus around the house."

For all of those reasons, this is worth your time...but probably only when you are at home and not sitting next to your co-workers, your mom or your children.

there's something moving...

Lots of new bands to kick off the year, with some of the names scraped from best of the year (2012) lists from various music blogs that I trust. Highlights like Alt-J, Django Django, Benjamin del Shreve and surprisingly enough to me, an American Idol winner are found on this one. A few of my standards found as well with The National and another track from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (my latest foray into hip hop).

1. Breezeblocks  ~  Alt-J

2. Wandering Eyes  ~  Kopecky Family Band

3. Paint  ~  The Paper Kites

4. The Diamond  ~  Benjamin Del Shreve

5. Home  ~  Phillip Phillips

6. Feel Again  ~  OneRepublic

7. We OK (feat. K'naan)  ~  The Very Best

8. Heaven Knows  ~  Tender Mercies

9. Default  ~  Django Django

10. Driver, Surprise Me  ~  The National

11. Something Good  ~  Alt-J

12. Life's a Beach  ~  Django Django

13. Lost Kid  ~  The Apache Relay

14. Doused  ~  DIIV

15. Get Up Get Down  ~  Phillip Phillips

16. Sets Me Free  ~  The Apache Relay

17. Iron Rail  ~  Joseph Huber

18. Your Head and Your Heart  ~  The Saint Johns

19. Bible On the Dash (feat. Hayes Carll)  ~  Corb Lund

20. When I'm President  ~  Ian Hunter & The Rant Band

21. Otherside (feat. Fences) [Ryan Lewis Remix]  ~  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

The Paper Kites - Paint

I've been enjoying this song from the Australian band The Paper Kites recently. Something about the guitar work appeals to me...a mellow folk/indie sound for a lazy Sunday.

We were trying, but we're trying no more

It's cold on the floor, cold on the floor

This house has never been the same as before

It's never felt warm, never felt warm

There's something moving through the windows and walls

I've seen it before, seen it before

You left me living with a lingering soul,

how little you know, how little you know

Alt-J: Breezeblocks

So this video is wicked cool without the song. Add the song and it is that much better. These guys are from Britain and beyond that, I only know that they make some seriously cool music and that their name shares  a keyboard shortcut. Seriously liking this song on a standard rotation these days.

Do you know where the wild things go
They go along to take your honey
Break down, now sleep, build up, breakfast
Now let’s eat, my love, my love love love
She bruises, coughs, she splutters
Pistol shots hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks
She’s morphine, queen of my vaccine, my love, my love love love

Don't Default to that Django

I love finding new music via year end lists from some of my recurring musical reads. I've seen this one on a few different sources so I cannot attribute it to a specific source. Django Django are a Scottish band based out of London and I'm guessing that this song Default is anything but the norm for most of your daily fare. Check it out.

Wake Owl - Gold

This song hit my iPod on shuffle tonight. Not sure where it has been hiding but when it came on I hit repeat at least twice. I think it is the voice. My ears sink their teeth into the chorus. Go to Wake Owl's website here.

I don't feel like I'm falling, I'm up against the sky,
I said I'd taken it all in to make the good life,
I don't feel like I'm falling, I'm up against the sky,
Let's grab the heart of the world and turn into the light

end in trouble and start with a grin

If I was going to recommend one single song off of this playlist/mix, it would be two of them:

1. Down In the Valley by The Head and the Heart

2. Hey Love by Miner

And let me tell you something. There are some really other good songs on here so those links above are money. I turn 37 this weekend. "So I wish I was a slave to an age-old trade,  Lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways." Enjoy.

1. Down In the Valley  §  The Head and the Heart

2. Call Off Your Horses  §  Hallelujah the Hills

3. Top Yourself  §  The Raconteurs

4. Late July  §  Shakey Graves

5. Hey Love  §  Miner

6. Heartbroken, In Disrepair  §  Dan Auerbach

7. Over Jordan  §  Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons

8. Some Like It Dread  §  Big Youth

9. Thinkin Bout You  §  Frank Ocean

10. Zero G  §  The Kingsbury Manx

11. Fade Away  §  Rob Baird

12. Cigarette Thin (The Age of Asparagus)  §  Jim Bryson & Jeremy Fisher

13. When I'm Asleep  §  Jesca Hoop

14. Psychotic Girl  §  The Black Keys

15. Speed of Sound (EP Remix)  §  Communist Daughter

16. Old Mythologies  §  The Barr Brothers

17. Good Fight  §  American Aquarium

18. Jasper  §  Aidan Knight

19. My Girl  §  Yukon Blonde

20. Lost In the Light  §  Bahamas

21. Tacatà (Radio Edit)  §  Tacabro

And you know what, just because it is a special weekend, I'll post this video to the Miner song above. And if you are not singing along by 2:40, stamping your foot and wanting to go to a concert for these guys, check your pulse.

mind on the moor

1. Love Don't Let Me Down  §  Liam Titcomb

2. All Eyes On You  §  St. Lucia

3. Among the Leaves  §  Sun Kil Moon

4. Nashville  §  Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors

5. I'm Just Me  §  Diamond Rings

6. Holocene (iTunes Session)  §  Bon Iver

7. Buy Me Honey  §  Yellow Red Sparks

8. The Way We Move  §  Langhorne Slim & The Law

9. Sittin' in a Hotel Room  §  Eric Bibb

10. Hard Times  §  Baby Huey

11. 1904  §  The Tallest Man On Earth

12. Bad Luck  §  Langhorne Slim & The Law

13. History's Door  §  Husky

14. Give Love  §  MC Yogi

15. Mistaken For Strangers  §  The National

16. Let's Go  §  Matt & Kim

17. Safe and Sound  §  Rebelution

18. Wolves  §  Josh Ritter

19. Leading Me Now  §  The Tallest Man On Earth

20. Porch Light  §  Simpleton & CityFolk

21. Make the Money  §  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

my gravity centered

I'm bad at sending these out these days...if you used to get them in the mail, I probably owe you a box set. This cover really appeals to me. The mix after this one is just about done as well. I have two months of backlogged playlists on the mac that I haven't published to this forum. Busy days. Been starting to dig into Johnny Cash these days so he makes an appearance on here. And of course, with the Sigur Rós show under our belt, they get to wrap up the show. 

1. Sweater Weather    ∫    The Neighbourhood

2. Follow the Sun    ∫    Xavier Rudd

3. Evermore    ∫    Barcelona

4. Don't Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas)    ∫    Regina Spektor

5. Get Me In A Room    ∫    Hallelujah The Hills

6. Oye Mi Cumbia    ∫    The Iguanas

7. Every Girl    ∫    Turnpike Troubadours

8. The Well    ∫    The Silent Comedy

9. Delia's Gone    ∫    Ben Nichols

10. Walk With You    ∫    Sin Fang

11. Bartholomew    ∫    The Silent Comedy

12. Beach    ∫    Peter Wolf Crier

13. One of Many    ∫    Joe Pug

14. 7 & 7    ∫    Turnpike Troubadours

15. History's Door    ∫    Husky

16. Guest of the Government    ∫    Admiral Fallow

17. Memories from a Shore    ∫    Right Away, Great Captain!

18. Women & Work    ∫    Lucero

19. That's What's Up    ∫    Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

20. Get Rhythm    ∫    Johnny Cash

21. Home Again    ∫    Michael Kiwanuka

22. Varúð    ∫    Sigur Rós