Vampire Weekend- Debut Album

When you live in a suburb of phx your exposure to breaking bands is severely limited. You don't hob nob with hipsters. There is no buzz at local hangouts. And all the local bands have perfected their Weezer covers and are working on some new stuff that will inevitably sound like a Jimmy Eat World song. So when the new album by Vampire Weekend was released last week I obviously missed it. But thanks to the powers that are the internet I can feel somewhat included in appreciating this new album.

The west african guitar parts in song like Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa sound something like mid-80's paul simon and the constant beat, steel drums and orchestral arrangements of Walcott give the album depth and personality. This album is warm clever and ocdelicious.

http://earbuds.popdose.com/taylor/Vampire%20Weekend%20-%20Cape%20Cod%20Kwassa%20Kwassa.mp3

http://www.mediamax.com/maxfife/Hosted/09%20Walcott.mp3

N.E.R.D. Everybody Nose

I'm not one for Girl Anthems... usually. There was that stint in the late '90's but who didn't <3 the SPICE GIRLS. I'm not talking about just the music, the whole brand! movie and all. But with a recent focus on manliness, including weekly quotas of ESPN and discussion of "the game", my knowledge and appreciation of the pro-girl has been waining. Thank you N.E.R.D for creating such a catchy song. Bouncing in my cubicle while listening and catching myself singing along to the main tag line "all the girls standing in the line for the bathroom" has returned me to an emasculated state. But the song is so super catchy that is makes me very excited for the full length album from this Captain America group of hip-hop producers. This track is awesome, embarrassing and OCDelicious

https://poptartssucktoasted.sslpowered.com/LP1.21/everyone%20nose.mp3

Built to Spill- Car

I have a strong emotional attachment to this song because it was on a mix cd my brother gave to me for Christmas when he came home from a long awaited visit from college. I was in 7th grade. Besides the radio and my parent's collection of vinyl they've had since the age of the dinosaurs, I knew virtually nothing of the outside world of music; and I was happily awakened to the indie world thanks to my brother's empty, college pockets. Car happens to be track one on the mix. I remember burning the candle til 2 in the morning as I listened quietly to Built to Spill over and over again. They became my meat and potatoes band, the one that started it all, the group that made me want to know what else was out there, which is exactly what this song is all about. " I want specifics on the general idea I wanna think what I should know Want you to do me what to show I wanna see movies of my dreams". Built to Spill happens to be everywhere. These old guys have been around for a while, and pretty much every indie-alt band out there has at least a speck of Built to Spill in them. Its like they created the "Essentials of Indie" manual and every aspiring musician just had to get their hands on it. Built to Spill has a vast range of formations from heart-exploding love songs to fun indie pop songs to 20 minute intricate ballads. No matter what mood your in, if you pop in one of their albums, you'll fill your ears with indie-loving charm.

http://idisk.mac.com/olneyce/Public/car.mp3

Blonde Redhead- Elephant Woman

Although this no-wave group from New York is often compared with Sonic Youth, their two most recent albums 23 and Misery Is a Butterfly makes Blonde Redhead incomparable to any band that I have come across. And there are many, many elements that set them apart from everyone else. Their groves, jazz influenced syncopation and rhythm, and use of exotic instruments and eerie background sounds, place them in the avant-experimental genre. Unfortunately, when some artists enter this experimental and transcendental vortex...they simply produce detached and fuzzy garbage. Not in this case. Blonde Redhead perfectly combines the use of structural compositions with an abstract twist. Their progressive chord changes and dark, romantic themes mystify me. On top of this eeriness that takes you on a trip through the vastness, and sometimes lonely emptiness of the universe is an intensity that grips you, and a violent emotion that leaves you completely awestruck. The song, Elephant Woman, is so full of intensity and emotion its hard to describe how I feel about it....as it is hard to place Blonde Redhead in any classification or with any other artist.

Okay, I finally found a link to the song, but its a YouTube video. And if you don't like the lovely anime graphics, spend your blessed 99 cents and buy it off iTunes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRbahynwyEs&feature=related

Hot Chip will leave you breathless

For the past two weeks I haven't been able to stop listening to this electronica band from London. The tight synth beats and ironic rhymes make it addictive. Who would have thought a group of twenty somethings would have such an affect on me. There new album will be coming out Feb 4th and leaks have been coming out on interweb for a minute and with each new track my expectations rise and rise.

Let's hope the new album isn't a disappointment because we all know that disappointment comes from unmet expectations... take my last gf for example.

Ready for the Floor
http://ricky.differentclass.org/uploads/hotchip.mp3


More Hot Chip songs soon if'n you like.

Wolf Parade- I'll Believe in Anything

When the parents of Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes, Atlas Strategic, and Hot Hot Heat conceived, they gave birth to a beautiful baby named Wolf Parade. Wolf Parade grew up strong and fast, with a little help from his Godfather Isaac Brock, and showed us a thing or two he had learned, making the other little kiddies kind of jealous. His mumble/squawk voice combined with his thunder-crash drums, weights-on-his-fingers keyboard, raw/throbbing guitar, and intense electronica synthesizer makes Wolf Parade a new edition to the new-wave family of indie rock.
I'll Believe in Anything, is Indian tribal dance meets crude guitar/drums with an emphasis on a high pitched yet bubbly-brook synthesizer. This combination makes a perfect way to wear the hell out of your mp3 player. Anyway, this doesn't make a bit of darn sense, just listen, you'll get the idea.
Beware, its incredibly OCDelicious!
http://alina.bothsidesofthemouth.com/09%20I%27ll%20Believe%20In%20Anything.mp3

Kickin' it off with the dreamtastic iron and wine

When I first encountered the sounds of Sam Beam's silky, yet ashen voice, and that twangy, melodious banjo that made my mind wander to a barefoot childhood full of sweet smelling summers and innocent mischief, I went through a good month or two of ultra OCDelicious obsession. Iron and Wine became one of those bands that saved me from the everyday robotics of life, transported my mind to thoughtful, thinly veiled dreams and made me wish I could grow a wicked beard (yes thats right) and drink cold lemonade on the front porch. His deep thoughts and lament for passing moments and forgotten lovers makes even the most nostalgic poets' work child's play.

This song in particular, Resurrection Fern, remains on repeat, even when my sisters beg for Baby Bash's, Cyclone...but that is for another day's topic. In the meantime, grab a seat in Grandma's rocking chair, press play, and dream of happy moments soon to come.

http://www.speedofdark-web.com/speedofdark/2007/Best-2007/Iron%20and%20Wine_08-Resurrection%20Fern.mp3

Xiu Xiu- I Do What I Want When I Want

I have never been into experimental music always found it a bit too much. But Xiu Xiu may usher me into the Genre. All i had previously known about this San Francisco based group I had learned at a music festival in California last year. A bunch of 15 year old kids wore their t-shirts. So as far as I knew then it was a new skate brand with a chinese logo, like Zhong.

I stumbled on this song this week and the eeriness of it keeps it on repeat. There are enough melodic breaks to make it listenable but it drifts of into morose wanderings enough to make it interesting.

It's toe tapping and OCDelicious.
http://stereoscope.fm/melody/011408_XiuXiu.mp3

Why the BLOG

I've had this problem ever since I was young. I would listen to one song over and over again. It would become an obsession. My family would make fun of it but I couldn't stop. I was ashamed of my OCD tendencies. Because the OCD was limited to Vanilla Ice raps and Niel Young jams I decided not to seek medical attention but instead suppressed the symptoms but was always afraid of any one seeing my top 25 played on iTunes because of the large disconnect on play count between the top of the list and the bottom.

It's time to come to grips with my condition. Hopefully this experiment will help me become more self actualized. I am going to blog about the songs that I habitually listen to. Please don't underestimate my sickness. Some times I'll listen to a song easily 40 times in one day!!

SO this is my treatment. OCDelicious!!!

Bon Appetit.