Port of Morrow

James Mercer is back, at his finest...in my favorite Portland based band--The Shins. In 2007 I winced every night away with the Shins, and now with the completed 4th studio album, I am hoping to create a new soundtrack for 2012. 'Simple Song' is the first single of the much anticipated album, and it has a little bit of the 60's nostalgia, mixed with the classic Shins pop aesthetic.

Hear it here first:


Album Release Date: March 20th, stream it on ITunes starting March 13th

All my friends tell me I should move on, I'm lying in the ocean singing your song

In my newly found 'dark paradise', Lana Del Rey's "Born to Die" has been my soundtrack in this jungle. With each honest word, the moments seem brighter. I look back on the last year, and I feel like I am drowning. If each artist that I admire so much, can shine a creative light on the negative in their lives...than why can't I?
I am going to use the moments where it seems like the world is spinning, to focus on my creativity. Rediscover the every corner of my heart and mind.
Here we go..
LITTLE THINGS..
Now Playing:
"Bridges Burned" Seeker Lover Keeper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0nz5QBJ3Io
"Dark Paradise" Lana Del Rey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLS8YGWC2iA
"The Daylight" Andrew Belle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw4vrqPljW4

All We Know Is Falling

There are a lot of things in life, that make us tick. Music is the constant tick-tock that I hear in my head. As of late, I can't hear anything ticking.

 I see my record player sitting in my living room, covered with dust. The records on the shelves perfectly preserved in plastic, untouched. CD's stacked and scratched unable to be played even if I wanted to. A computer filled with years of music, that has lost all power to start.

I've lost the passion for the HUNT. The ever ending quest to discover the latest and greatest. Instead I find myself distracted, my head clouded with the sounds of mediocre pop music. It haunts me in my day to day, as it blares through the speakers at work. I am always asking, could this really be it? Have my musical tastes fizzled out and faded away. Is it a curse of my surroundings, in combination with my lack of passion for the chase?

Maybe.


Today I found myself searching...falling back on my laurels if you will.
Tonight, I am gonna open up that record player...pull some records off the shelves, and remember how I fell in love this "hobby" in the first place. The places, the people, the music...if only I could relive all those "perfect" moments all over again. Maybe the playlist is a little embarrassing, but nostalgia always is...

"I fear I might break, I fear can't take it. Tonight I'll lie awake, feeling empty."

Grow up, and blow away.

Like every angst filled teen, I longed for the day that I could finally get a tattoo. It was something that I was definitely NOT supposed to do. In good teenage FASHION, I just had to do it (you know exactly what I am talking about). It was sure to be my stamp that I was a "rebel without a cause", a real big middle finger to the "man"(my parents, of course). Not something too big, but not too small...indiscrete enough so my Mom wouldn't see it, this train of eternal age of teenage wisdom could only lead to a "TRAMP STAMP".  It seemed so genius in the moment, a music note.

I am sure we all have a phrase that our parents never let us live down. The day that my Mother found that treble clef in the small of my back is that day for me. I can remember it vividly. In fact, it almost seems like yesterday. She was furious and asked me WHAT WAS ON MY BACK, and I screamed with rebellion..."MUSIC IS MY LIFE MOM!" In my 18 year old mind, it was...and in my 26 year old mind it still is. I just don't know that at my current age, I would get a tattoo to "symbolize" my musical rebellion.

As the years have progressed from 18 to 26, a lot of things about me have changed. My love for music, is one passion that has resonated in me through out time. Though I have had my romances with certain genre's here and there, one band has always stood out for me--METRIC.


Emily Haines, and not to sound the slightest bit crazy, has the voice of an ANGEL. Yep, I said it. I first heard of Metric, from the girls I worked with at my first MAC counter. At the time I would have never admitted my obsession with Haines, as I was far too "hardcore" for my own good. Old World Underground--got me hooked. It was from that moment on that my secret obsession with Haines began. Old World Underground would find itself on my constant rotation until 2005, when Live It Up and then their debut album re-release Grow up, and Blow Away in 2007.

In 2009, I finally got to see Emily face to face. Fantasies had just been released a couple months before, and I had noticed a distinct change in the musical direction of my favorite band. She was standing on the stage covered in silver sequins, strobe lights bouncing back and forth off the dress, singing my favorite song DEAD DISCO. Even though Fantasies didn't hold the tiniest candle to the passion I felt for OLD WORLD UNDERGROUND, I realized that standing before me was my favorite band, and all of the sudden I fell in love with Fantasies. That concert, will always be one of my favorite memories. The energy, and the passion she exudes makes me love the band even more. Haines will always be my favorite singer, and Metric is STILL my favorite band, and guess what? MUSIC IS STILL MY LIFE.

Sidenote...if you haven't listened to Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton, you should do that NOW.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHTS!

I've decided to be a little more diligent with this blog, as listening to music is like second nature for me, and I love sharing that world with people. SO...Saturday's I will do a Saturday Night Playlist of all my favorite music from the week. SO EXCITED, to share this first one with you!

1. "Midnight City" M83
2. "Video Games" Lana Del Rey
3. "Empty Bottles" I Break Horses
4. "It Ain't Gonna Save Me" Jay Reatard
5. "Black and White" The Generationals
6. "Holy Diver" Dio
7. "When the Water Gave Me" Florence and the Machine
8. "Future Starts Slow" The Kills
9. "Do You Wanna Touch Me" Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
10. "Lollipop" Lil Wayne

Listen to most of the tracks here: http://www.last.fm/user/motorheadwithme/library/playlists/59ygx_s-a-t-u-r-d-a-y_nights

Happy Saturday, and Happy Listening!

Midnight City...this city is my church.

The hypnotic chanting of "Midnight City", the first single off M83's album fourth coming double album Hurry Up We're Dreaming (10/18) , will no doubt send you into a trance. It's just a taste of what is to come on this mesmerizing release.

You can download the entire album in MP3 form, at ilovem83.com

As Gonzalez has said about the album, “I think it is a reflection of my 30 years of being a human being. It’s a compilation of all my previous music together. It’s a retrospective of myself.”

Midnight City by M83

The Joy Formidable

The other night, bored out of my mind...I YET AGAIN found myself randomly downloading music off i-tunes. Frantically trying to find something that would, dare I say, catch my attention. From one click to another, I randomly stumbled upon-The Joy Formidable. As the 30 second sample of single "Whirring" methodically dove through the speakers, I decided I had to hear more. The song had a child like happiness that tagged along, with the precisely scripted lyrics that followed the melody.
I naturally, after hearing the entirety of "Whirring", decided I could not go on with out here the whole album. Yes, this album did come out in January, and maybe I am a little late, but it never can be too late to recognize something great. The Joy Formidable's debut album Big Roar, is yelling for your attention. Don't ignore it.

Bon Iver-Calgary

"Calgary" is the first single of Bon Iver's self-titled Sophomore LP.  Andre Durand and Dan Huiting directed (Justin Vernon co-wrote)  the beautifully haunting high-concept clip for Bon Iver's first single "Calgary".

When talking to Pitchfork recently, lead singer Justin Vernon said the song is one of the materials on the album that he is proud of lyrically. "I really like the opening line: 'Don't you cherish me to sleep.' There's that whole thing that happens in relationships-- you can love someone but, as soon as they stop loving you so unconditionally that they stop being themselves, it can be so dangerous." 


There might be a "fire going out" in the hearts of the two people in this video, but not in the heart of the man who created it. 

LISTEN TO: THEE OH SEES

One of my favorite bands from San Francisco, graces us with a new album, but this time they seem to be short a few members...mainly the entire band.. Thee Oh Sees, Castlemania out now on IN THE RED records. Pitchfork Music summed it up best..."Even at his most reflective, Dwyer's songwriting retains a sinister, "Sesame Street"-on-LSD sensibility-- simple melodies and creepy lyrics, frequently delivered in a whacked-out monster-voice." 

Thee Oh Sees have spent the last decade showcasing lead singer John Dwyer's sensitive side, and have quickly evolved to one of the hardest working bands in garage-rock. Their music is nothing short of epic, and their live shows are in the same category. But on Castlemania, Dwyer takes a stab at the whole thing on his own. The band is on hiatus until the fall, and are scheduled to release another full-length later this year. 

It's like listening to John Dwyer on an old Califone record player with a slowed down turn table. He's out on his own, minus the big guns of his band, but it's refreshing and prolific to hear him on his own, for now. 

LISTEN TO I NEED SEED

TY REX

What could be better than one of my favorite singers, Ty Segall covering T-REX exclusively for Record Store Day yesterday? I am gonna lean towards nothing!! Ty releases "Ty Rex" exclusively for Record Store Day April 16th, and will be available for full distribution on the Monday April 25th. Ty covers 6 songs, including SLIDER...can't wait for this release, hope some of you catched it yesterday!
Ty Segall: "Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart" (T. Rex Cover) by alteredzones

visit www.goner-records.com on April 25th to get your copy!