Terrifying Tunes

"A storm is coming...
A storm that will swallow the children
And I will deliver them from the kingdom of pain
I will deliver the children back the their doorsteps
And send the monsters back to the underground
I'll send them back to a place where no-one else can see them
Except for me
Because I... am Donnie Darko." 

My last post was all about the scary movies that we associate with Halloween.  Today, I will explore the sounds of Halloween and provide a playlist that will haunt your dreams for eternity.  Mwhahah!  Ot something like that.  

I did not say anything about the great movie, Donnie Darko (2001).  It was directed by Richard Kelly and features the music of composer Michael Andrews.  The hit rehash of Tears for Fears' 'Mad World' was done by singer Gary Jules.  The film, in large part to the music and plot now has a cult following.  For awhile, you could go online to donniedarko.com and figure out plot points not in the movie and make sense out of this strange but fascinating film.  The movie stars Drew Barrymore, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal (who play siblings), Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, If you have not seen it, the movie is about a boy, Donnie (played  by Jake Gyllenhaal) who sleepwalks and sees an imaginary rabbit (supposedly from the future) who tells him about the end of the world.  Is Donnie crazy or does his world make some sense?  What exactly is going on?  The movie centers around the bizarre and paranormal idea of time travel and alternate realities.  

I will not give away anything but just tell you that this movie is incredible. My friend Matt is frightened to death of the rabbit, Frank.  I, however, think it makes an ingenious Halloween costume.  There is a sequel to this movie S. Darko (2009) set around Donnie's sister (played by Daveigh Chase (Samara from The Ring).  Seth Rogan is also in the film; he plays a bully named Ricky.  Another interesting tidbit is that Katharine Ross plays Dr. Lillian Thurman, Donnie's psychiatrist.  Ross played Joanna Eberhart in the 1975 (original and better) version of The Stepford Wives, Ira Levin's 1972 book of the same name.  And Ira Levin also wrote Rosemary's Baby.  So there are a lot of intrinsic connections within Donnie Darko's cast.  I love this film and would show it for 24 hours on TBS, like they do with A Christmas Story (1983) from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day.   

The soundtrack for Donnie Darko is also haunting and perfect to listen to around this time of year.  Most of the music is eerie and somber.  It perfectly reflects the grey, cold weather.  The movie takes place during 1988 so it has songs of the period like: 'Under the Milky Way' by The Church, 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division, 'Notorious' by Duran Duran, 'The Killing Moon' by Echo and the Bunnymen, 'Head Over Heals' by Tears for Fears, and 'Never Tear Us Apart' by INXS (in the director's cut only) to replace the beginning sequence song 'The Killing Moon' (which is moved to another scene).  That's how much I love this movie; I can tell you the differences between the director's cut and regular version.  I LOVE this movie!  

With that aside, I will give you an unlikely soundtrack for Halloween.  Yes, there are songs like 'Monster Mash' (1962), 'Thriller' (1983), and 'Time Warp' (1975).  I will try to find off the beaten path songs which include alternate versions of hit Halloween tunes or possibly tunes you haven't heard before.  So beware, you're in for a scare. Mwhahahah!  

video for Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' from 1983

I had to get it out of the way.  Everyone expects this, right!?

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Halloween Terrifying Tunes ReMix

1) 'Joan Crawford' by Blue Öyster Cult (1981)

    

2) 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' by Bauhaus (1979)

  

3) 'Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)' by David Bowie (1980)

4) 'The Human Fly' by The Cramps (1978)

5) 'Teenagers from Mars' by The Misfits (1978)

PS: Static Age is my favorite Misfits' album!

6) 'Sleepwalk' by Ultravox (1980)

7) 'Institution Walls' by B-Movie (1981)

8) 'Radioactivity' by Kraftwerk (1976)

9) 'Over at the Frankenstein Place' (from RHPS) by Richard O'Brien (acoustic version)

10) 'Season of the Witch' by Vanilla Fudge (1968)

 

11) Lullaby from Rosemary's Baby by Mia Farrow (1968)

 

12) Vincent Price reciting Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven'

 

Deep Purple recently released a song titled, 'Vincent Price'.  I'm not crazy about this song but I love Deep Purple (their older stuff) and, though cheesy, this song is great for Halloween!  I'm not including it in my line-up though.  

13) 'No Quarter' by Led Zeppelin (1973)

 

14) 'This is Halloween' by Marilyn Manson (2008)

 
Marilyn Manson's songs 'I Put a Spell on You' and 'Sweet Dreams are also great for Halloween!

15) 'Children of the Grave' by White Zombie (1994, cover of Black Sabbath's song)

16) 'Am I Evil?' by Metallica (1988, cover of Diamond Head's song)

 

17) 'Heaven and Hell' by Black Sabbath (1980)

 

18) 'Sabra Cadabra' by Black Sabbath (1985)

19) 'The Killing Moon' by Echo and the Bunnymen (1984)

20) 'Under the Milky Way' by The Church

21) 'Cannibal Roses' by Siouxsie Sioux and the Banshees (1982)

22) 'Asleep' by The Smiths (1987)

23) 'October' by U2 (1981)

24) 'I Put a Spell on You' by Screamin' Jay Hawkins (1956)

 

25) 'At the House of Frankenstein' by Big Bee Kornegay (1958)

26) 'Frankie Frankenstein' by Buffalo Bop (1931)

27) 'The Monster Hop' by Bret Convy 

There's another song of the same name by Jimmy Dee worth checking out.

28) 'Zombified' bySouthern Culture on the Skids (1998)

They have another great song called 'Werewolf'.

29) 'Bad Moon Rising' by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

30) 'Little Red Riding Hood' by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (1966)

31) 'In Particular' by Blonde Redhead (2000)

 



Full Album Recs: 

*And I recommend listening to, buying, or downloading the following five albums:

a) Sonic Youth, Bad Moon Rising (1985)  

b) The Enid, Something Wicked This Way Comes (1982)

c) 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' by Rick Wakeman

d) Halloween soundtrack (1978)- this is an excerpt

e) Rocky Horror Picture Show by Polyphonic Spree (you can get it as an import from the UK-Ebay it)

So there you have it ghouls and goblins.  A soundtrack that doesn't include the usual suspects.  Well, some of the tunes are familiar but I tried to mix it up a little bit.  Songs that are haunting, creepy, and/or eerie but do not pertain to Halloween directly.  I hope you enjoy it.  And as I mentioned, you can listen, download, or buy any of the songs/albums (they're all on Itunes).  Happy Haunting!

Bewitched and Bewildered,

~R~

I didn't include 'Monster Mash' from 1962 because I despise that song and it's on EVERY Halloween soundtrack available.  I'm sure Bobby Pickett was just as annoyed by this song which is probably heavily discussed in his book, Monster Mash: Half Dead in Hollywood (2005).  I feel bad that though he wrote other songs, this is what defined him.  Though I'm sure it made him buckets of money.  He could use all of his cash to pay for a good shrink.  Sadly, Pickett died in 2007 and I would bet his grave reads, 'He did the mash'.  Oy vey!

The Beach Boys covering 'Monster Mash' (1964)

I Have Noise In My Head Too!

 

"I kept the right ones out and let the wrong ones in.
Had an angel of mercy to see me through all my sins.
There were times in my life when I was going insane trying to walk through the pain.
When I lost my grip, and I hit the floor.
Yea, I thought I could leave but couldn't get out the door.
It's amazing with the blink of an eye you finally see the light.
Oh, it's amazing when the moment arrives you know you'll be alright.
Yea it's amazing, and I'm saying a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight."
-Aerosmith, 'Amazing, 1993

This is what Steven Tyler had to say about his song, 'Amazing' back in '93:

"The more I look back at my life and the things that we did, the more I think there's got to have been a plan for this band, either by a higher power or an angel of mercy. I mean, that's how I like to look at it now, because for all the shit I did, someone threw me a rope. I look back on the times I OD-ed, didn't have any money left in the bank, was let go off CBS because the band sucked, couldn't even get my shit together to change my clothes, but look at us now. When you actually look back, it's pretty damn amazing, hence the song." VOX 4/93

Stephen Tyler is quoted here because he is a man who has seen the rock bottom of hell and come back to tell a story about it. He formed his band, Aerosmith, in the early 70's with Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton, later adding Brad Whitford. This is the first rock group that I adored and worshiped. I have seen them in concert 3 times, and one of those times I was lucky enough to be in the first ten rows. I think Stephen Tyler is magnificent, and I'm glad he's a judge on American Idol. He adds an element of crazy fun to the show. You never know what he's going to say or do, or even wear next. He is a free spirit and stands true to the testament of time.

For me, thinking of Aerosmith, brings back memories of middle school. It is also a fun fact that Alicia Silverstone, my MS crush got her debut in the 'Crazy', 'Cryin', and 'Amazing' music videos. In 1994, she was in the film Clueless, which is now a cult classic (I remember going to the movie theater to see it with my cousin, Deborah). So, I have fond memories of playing Aerosmith and forgetting all woes and cares. For me, as soon as I got Aerosmith's 'Get a Grip' for my 12th birthday, I could for once taste freedom. I didn't yet know that Aerosmith had been around for a good 15 to 20 years before I was even born. They were already music legends by the time I started listening to them.

I remember the very day, when I unwrapped my present and saw that pierced cow udder. For me, it was like that moment in 'Almost Famous' where William Miller gets a note from his sister, Anita, telling him to light a candle while listening to The Who. She says it will 'set him free'. Well that moment is like what happened when I received my very first rock CD. Stephen Tyler is still my favorite rocker, despite the fact that I don't really care for Amerosmith's newer songs, like 'Pink' or 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing', though they are catchy.

I prefer the days of 'Sweet Emotion', 'Big Ten Inch', 'Kings and Queens', 'Draw the Line', 'Same Old Song and Dance', 'Toys in the Attic', and of course 'Dream On'. My personal favorite of all time, though is 'Back in the Saddle'. To me, that song always represents a kind of testament to bouncing back no matter how hard you hit the ground after falling off the horse. However, the song really makes references to the Old West and has many sexual innuendos. It seems to be really about getting ready to have a fun night with ole' Sukie Jones (the equivalent to a Playboy bunny saloon girl I'm guessing). So, I put more metaphorical meaning into the song than is there, but that's okay; we all do that.

"The thing that really stands out in my mind about Aerosmith is that we're still fucking together. Whatever we've done together and whatever we've become, is second to the fact that we're still doing this. I'm still in love with these guys. I'm not saying it didn't take a lot of work because drugs will take you and pull you apart. But it wasn't anything we shot up or put up our noses that gave us the edge - it was Joe Perry's fuck-all, being as abrasive as that motherfucker is, and Brad Whitford's ear, Tom Hamilton's well-aimed simplicity and Joey Kramer's solid bed of backbeat. Keeping this band together has been the hardest and the happiest thing we've done in our lives. It's been a long time coming. So for all the other stuff that comes from Aerosmith, the most amazing thing is that we're still playing and still having some fucking fun."

That is what Steven Tyler said about his band, Aerosmith. Despite the women, drugs, and fights, the band is still together. They still go on tour. So, Steven Tyler is a testament to staying true to yourself and letting your freak flag fly. He knows he beats to his own drum, and he says to everyone this is what you get, and if you don't like it, then fuck off. I think he is number one on my list of classic rock celebs I would want to meet. I've met many rockers, but Steven Tyler would be like meeting 10 of my rock heroes at once. I would just love to hang out with him and pick his brain. Him and Whoopie Goldberg. That would be the best conversation ever!

For me, he is the epitome of oddity who is actually a little unusual. See, many people, especially celebrities try so hard to be weird, but they're just so 'normal'. What makes people like Tyler awesome are that he seems to be an honest portrait instead of a caricature. What also gets me is the sense that he cares about his fans and about the music. I mean, I'm sure he enjoys making money, but that doesn't seem to be the most important aspect for people like him.

The man has been in rehab and has dealt with addiction many times over. He has had three wives and has four children, one being the actress, Liv Tyler. His auto-biography, 'Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?' came out in May 2011. I started reading it because Steven Tyler is my rock n' roll idol.  I had to stop, though, not because it was bad but because it freaked me out how much Steven Tyler and I are alike.  Seriously, at times, while reading his memoir, I felt like I was his long lost brother.  If I ever have the opportunity to meet him or interview him, I think I would be as happy as my friend Ken when he met his rock idol, The Beach Boys.  I dream of having my own talk show, kind of a combination between Jimmy Fallon and Ed Sullivan with a touch of Headbanger's Ball.  I dream of that just so I could meet individuals like Steven Tyler and have visceral conversations without sounding like a sad rock groupie.  I highly recommend picking up the memoir, though. 

This is what he says about his book on the Harper Collins website:
"I've been mythicized, Mick-icized, eulogized and fooligized, I've been Cole-Portered and farmer's-daughtered, I've been Led Zepped and 12-stepped. I'm a rhyming fool and so cool that me, Fritz the Cat, and Mohair Sam are the baddest cats that am. I have so many outrageous stories, too many, and I'm gonna tell 'em all. All the unexpurgated, brain-jangling tales of debauchery, sex & drugs, transcendence & chemical dependence you will ever want to hear."

At the release of the book, I was banking on Steven Tyler coming to NYC.  He didn't.  At least not for the book.  I would have definitely stood in line for hours to meet this man.  Hell, I would have tried out for American Idol just to meet him.  I'm a member of AeroForceOne, the online Aerosmith fan club.  You can buy merchandise, see tour dates, and connect with other Aerosmith fans.  I signed up for it because at the time, in April 2012, they were doing this Aerosmith song bracket that predicted the most popular Aerosmith song amongst fans.  'Dream On' was the winner!  The prize for winning was tickets to any Aerosmith concert for their 2012 tour (travel not included).   That and one pair of Aerosmith Meet and Greet passes, one $250.00 gift card to the merchandise store.   But I signed up, even though its members are mostly former Aqua Net hair band cougars and soccer mom MILFs (though I don't want to generalize).  I'm probably the one of the only guys.

I love Aerosmith for their contribution to music and my worship of Steven Tyler is purely based on my own rock star dreams.  He is the reason I started playing music and have stayed true to the roots of good, classic rock n' roll. He is also the reason I feel good about being a little eccentric and out there myself. He makes crazy look chic. So hats off to Mr. Tyler for still rockin' at age 63; he definitely still acts like he is in his 20's! I hope I'm able to be as well accomplished and prolific at that age!

An just as Freddie Mercury is my number one rock idol no longer living.  Steven Tyler is my number one rock idol still alive.  He is an amazing individual and just as I'm sure I would have been friends with Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia, I know that Steven Tyler and I would be buddies if I hung out with him in Greenwich Village in the late sixties.  And though I don't care for any of Aeromsith's newer stuff, I hold Steven Tyler on a pedestal of what rock n' roll means, is, and should be.  If you're not rocking as hard as that man, then you're doing it all wrong! 

Here is a clip of Steven Tyler in drag during a 2012 American Idol audition.

Steven Tyler Idol quotes

In conclusion, I'm glad Steven Tyler was a judge on Idol so that his greatness could be introduced to a whole new generation.  But I'm also glad he left after two seasons because he is just so much better than that show.  And he has this to say about the show: "I didn't watch Idol because I grew up from, you had to play clubs. If you don't play in front of the people and get your hard knocks from that and get booed, you don't learn how to stand up when you fall back down."  That's right!  Steven Tyler was writing music when all those Idol kids were still an afterthought following too many martinis and a long one-night stand.  That pierced cow udder on the cover of 'Get a Grip' was the Pandora's Box that got me into a whole new universe.  I've rarely seen bands three or more times in concert but Aerosmith has reached this status and every single time I was more impressed than the last.  They put on a kick ass show and with Steven Tyler as the front man, they'll always be the definition of rock n' roll.  They bring blues, rock, and funk and transport and transform it so that its timeless and forever relevant.  Thank you Steven Tyler for being weird and letting kids like me feel okay for being weird too.  Eccentric, eclectic, electric, and hectic!

 "As you know, I'm androgynous. I can wear a jacket that most guys wouldn't put on. But you make it in guys' sizes, and suddenly they're wearing them. I think styles should get back to getting people to wear things that look so good that they don't care."

'The light at the end of the tunnel may be you..goodnight."

Steven Tyler on Craig Ferguson 6/3/13

Bop Bop a loo Bop a Wop Bam Bippity Boppity Boo,

~R~

Sounds of Summer: Part 2

Did you  like Sounds of Summer: Part 1?  Did you read that post and think to yourself, I want more.  I WANT MORE!  Well wait no longer.  Here is the second part of my summer sounds series where I will recommend more great bands/musicians for your ear.

Luke Rathborne:

• Luke Rathborne Vogue interview

• Luke Rathborne Bandcamp 

Another contact through social media.  I had no idea what to expect and was gladly surprised.  His stuff is kind of 90's with a modern indie kick.  Fast paced/modern folk that is reminiscent of Matt Pond PA, Local Natives, Bedouin Soundclash or Caesars.  I like his sound.  What I like more is that there's an actual band rather than just a dude with a guitar.  The 'dude n' guitar' act is so overdone.  Luke Rathborne is from Maine originally but now lives in good ole' NYC.   He moved to New York when he was only 18.  He recorded his first album, After Dark, when he was only 17.  He got noticed by Joey Levine, a songwriter and musician who wrote the 60's classic 'YummyYummy Yummy'.  Levine produced many of Luke Rathborne's songs and then brought attention to The Stroke's manager, Ryan Gentles.  Back in 2007, he was named 'Discovery Artist' of the year in Interview Magazine.  He was also a featured artist on BBC 6, for a music show, as a discovery by DJ and host, Lauren Laverne.  He has opened for The Strokes at the South by Southwest music festival, in 2011.  He also toured with the band, Noah and the Whale, as their opening act. 

2011 became a prolific year, as Luke Rathborne was signed to an indpendent LA label, 'Dilettante' and also the Australian label,Speak and Spell Record.  In the same year, Rathborne released a double EP, Dog Years/I Can Be One E.P.  The song 'True Believer' is what gained Rathborne notoriety and got him noticed by Lauren Laverne on her BBC 6 show.  He went on a seven night tour in London, playing a different venue each night.  His stellarly positive reception in the UK shows what a talent he truly is.  We all know that the Brits have much better taste in music than the Yanks!  It's bloody right!  What's really impressive is that Rathborne's first album, After Dark, was engineered and produced by himself, without any help.  He actually had to sneak into a local college radio station (in Brunswick, Maine) at night and pretend to be a radio DJ.  He made the record without being busted.  Mad respect for this dude!  He has true dedication and grit, real chutzpah!  The record was done on Rathborne's own label,Coonbone Record and got noticed in NYC.

Rathborne has been compared to Elliot Smith and Bob Dylan (before he got bad).  I personally think he's much more talented and versatile. I agree to the extent that he transforms the whole rebel, loaner, rogue singer-songwriter into something new.  He adds synth and a multitude of different instruments.  He is a hurricane force that is sure to catch on like wildfire soon enough.  His album Soft, is due to come out September 2nd.  Reserve your copy now!!  I'd be shocked if they don't sell like hotcakes!

                                          Video for 'Last Forgiven'- Luke Rathborne

'Peco's Bill' by Luke Rathborne

 

'Tomorrow' by Luke Rathborne

 

Junior Boys:

•  Junior Boys official site

This duet was formed by Jeremy Greenspan and Johnny Dark in Hamilton, Ontario (that's in Canada, eh) back in 1999.   A demo was made but nothing substantive happened until  Johnny Dark left to pursue other things.  In 2002, KIN Records heard their demo and asked for more.  Jeremy Greenspan then teamed up with Matt Didemus, his engineer.  In 2003, they came out with a four track EP called 'Birthday/Last Exit'.  One of the tracks on the EP was mixed by Fennesz, an Austrian guitarist and electronics artist.  The next Junior Boys' EP, High Come Down, came out in 2004.  One of the tracks on this EP was mixed by a Canadian musician called Manitoba (Daniel Victor Snaith), now known by the stage name of Caribou.  The first full album, Last Exit, was recorded in late 2003, and came out in 2004 with KIN Records.  'Birthday' was the most popular track on this album and prompted them to tour with Caribou.  The second album, So This is Goodbye came out in 2006 with the label, Domino Records.  Their third album, Begone Dull Care, was released in 2009.  After this album, they were able to go on tour in Australia.  The next album, It's All True came out in 2011.

The first track I heard from these guys was 'Dull to Pause', off of Begone Dull Care.  It has a nice electronic, pop sound.  Junior Boys stand out from other indie/electronic acts.  Though they are similar to acts like Among Savages or The Antlers.  The vocals are scratchy and soft.  The instrumentals remind me of a video game or a pinball machine.  The visuals of their videos are strange and colorful.  Junior Boys is wonderful and unique.  I'd love to see them live, as I'm sure they put on a killer show.  What I also notice is that fans have made their own videos which shows that their music inspires creativity and originality.  I definitely recommend downloading their stuff for your summer road trip or BBQ.  It will blow the hats off of everyone in the immediate listening vicinity. 
  

'Dull to Pause' (unoffical video) by Junior Boys

'Bits and Pieces' by Junior Boys

'Parallel Lines' (unofficial video)

 

'Banana Ripple' by Junior Boys

George Ellias:

• George Ellias official site

Another friend I found through social media.  I promised I'd do a write-up, but only because he's the real deal.  Talented and with a groovy sixties' sound!  George Ellias is another singer/songwriter who is from LA.  He left high school in 2004 and hit the open road in pursuit of music.  He spent time living and performing in places like Berkeley, San Francisco, and cities around the bay area.   He moved to New Orleans in 2006 and came into contact with many street musicians who influenced his style of music. While traveling, Ellias was able to meet many music legends like Ramblin' Jack Elliot,  Arlo Guthrie, T-Model Ford to name a few.  PS: I also met Arlo.  He's a cool dude!

At the moment, Ellias lives in LA and just finished getting a degree in English at California State University.  His EP, titled 'EP', was recently released and his album is also now available.  He loves literature, art, and poetry; he also draws (much of his art is inspired by books he reads).  I feel a kindred connection with Ellias.  He is the true traveling troubadour.  He leads the life that I would have wanted had I lived in the mid to late sixties.  Ellias is the love child of Bob Dylan and Arlo Guthrie.  He is living the life of 'Alice's Restaurant' in 2013!  He travels around getting inspiration for his music from everywhere.  He has stylings of folk, country, blues, and rock.  Not a Dylan copy!  A folk original in his own right!   His full length album is due to come out in the fall.  You can download some of his tunes on Spotify.  Give him a listen.  If you like the stylings of Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel, and Donovan, that 60's folk vibe with an undercurrent of psychedelic sounds akin to underground UK bands, then you'll love George Ellias.  Subsribe to his YouTube channel and you'll get enough music to satisfy your craving until the next album (and yes there will be many more I'm sure!) 

                                                  'On the Plains'- Experimental Guitar sounds

'You Should Have Said'

 'Little Sadie Spaceland California' (live)

 

 'Midnight Special' cover

 

I LOVE this song!  And George Ellias does it justice.  He adds some twang and makes it into a fresh take on an old classic!

Apples in Stereo:

• Apples in Stereo Website 

This band started, believe it or not, in 1992.  They are a psychedelic and indie rock based off of many underground bands from the late 60's and early 70's.  Their sound is not for everyone.  But I like a lot of bands like this.  I found them while on a hunt at Newbury Comics (based in Boston) in Amherst.  I used to discover bands there all the time while browsing their endless selection of music.  The bargain bin is an especially great place to find good stuff.  PS: George Ellias, you would dig this band! 

Apples in Stereo is currently made up of Robert Schneider (lead singer, lyricist, guitar) , John Hill (rhythm guitar), Eric Allen (bass), John Dufhilo (drums),  John Ferguson (keyboards), and Ben Phelan (keyboards/guitar).   The band is part of the Elephant Six Collective, which is a group of bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control.  The band's sound has been compared to music of the 60's and 70's, with bands like ELO, Pavement, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys.  There music has been heard on shows like 'The Powerpuff Girl's and 'Yo, Gabba Gabba'.  Their music has been featured on the talk shows of Conan O'Brien, Carson Daly, and Stephen Colbert.  Why not Jimmy Fallon?  They definitely need to get booked on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  And I better be in the band bench if it happens!  Their last two albums were released with the label, 'Simian Records', started by actor Elijah Wood (hence why he directs and stars in some of their videos).  I always had a feeling that me and Elijah Wood would be friends, and the fact that Apples in Stereo is his band, prooves it.   Apples in Stereo's latest album is described as having the sound of 70's R&B if it were being played by aliens and broadcasted by a spaceship.  Again, they aren't for everyone!  They are weird and wonderful, similar to the theatricality of acts like Of Montreal and MGMT!  Definitely my kind of band! 

The band has seven albums: Fun Trick Noisemaker (1995), Tone Soul Evolution (1997), Her Wallpaper Reverie (1999), The Discovery of a World, Inside the Moone (2000), Velocity of Sound (2002), New Magnetic Wonder (2007), and Travellers in Space and Time (2010). 

Video for 'Told you Once'- Apples in Stereo

'Dance Floor' (with actor Elijah Wood)

 

 'Energy' (directed by Elijah Wood)

 

Fun Trick Noisemaker (entire album)

Young Man:

• Young Man site
• 2010 Blog post on Young Man 

Another singer/songwriter who goes by Colin Caulfield (any relation to Salinger's Holden?)  Caulfield is from Chicago.  Aside from Caulfield, the band is made up of Emmett Conway, Joe Bailey, Jeff Graupner, and Darien Williams.  Caulfield seems to be one of those musicians who started out as a one man act but then merged into a multi-member band.   They have gained notoriety thanks to social media.  In the digital age, platforms like YouTube has helped propel Young Man's fame, as it has for others.  Though I'm sure they will turn out to be nothing like Justin Bieber. 

 The frontman for Deerhunter, Brandford Cox, first noticed Caulfield's cover of the Deerhunter song 'Rainwater Cassette Exchange' and felt it was even better than the original.  To have the lead singer of the band you're covering say that is a major feat, not something to take lightly.  Young Man's sound has been compared to bands like Animal Collective and Ariel Pink.  What's to be said about Young Man is that their music tells a story.  Caulfield has explained that though his music is definitely auto-biographical, that he wants it to also be universal.  He also wants his music to be the kind where people stop, listen and go 'what was that?'  Young Man currently has four albums: Boy (2010), Ideas of Distance (2011), Vol 1 (2012), and Beyond Was All Around Me (2013).   Their latest album was just released and is now available.

The first song I heard by them, 'Nothing' is trippy and dreamy in its vocals and instrumentals.  You feel like you're floating.  A similar feeling is evoked with bands like Spiritualized, The National, Dana Buoy, and Diego Garcia.  The vocals of Young Man's songs, at times, actually remind me of Jake Shears (from Scissor Sisters), Patrick Zimmer (of Finn.) or Brian Molko (of Placebo).  They would be a great opening band for The Flaming Lips or Arcade Fire.  You should check them out because like my other recommendations, Young Man brings something new to the world of indie rock. 

'Nothing'

 

video for 'Up So Fast'

 

 video for 'In a Sense'

  

video for 'Enough'

      

    'Five'

So now that you've read parts one and two, you can download to your heart's content.  Go to Itunes, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, what have you.  Check out my recs and let me know what you think.  I promise you will not be disappointed with my picks.  Have a great summer!  And remember to listen responsibly, folks!

keep on rocking in the free world,

~R~

Sounds of Summer: Part 1

Summer hit 2013 'I Don't Care' by Icona Pop

 

Icona Pop is made up of a couple of DJs from Sweden, Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo (say that five times fast) who formed in 2009.  They have two albums, Icona Pop and This is..Icona Pop (very original).  Their debut hit single was a song called 'Manners' but it was 'I Don't Care' that got them into every American household.  This annoying but catchy song was number 21 on the Itunes dance chart.  The song has been in seemingly every commercial and tv spot/show.  To name a few: Girls, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Glee, Good Morning America, Dancing witht he Stars, The Vampire Diaries.  It has also been in ads for shoes and phones.  It is everywhere this summer!  And the band is currently touring with Matt&Kim and Passion Pit (two of my faves) so that gives them a little more street cred' in my book.  I like the song; it's catchy and has a beat you can dance to.  It's a little more edgy and indie than typical summer hits.  But, I'm certain that 'Icona who?' will be the catch phrase of summer 2014.

Summer hit 2012 'Call me Maybe' by Carly Rae Jepsen

This song is definitely annoying as hell, so it must be a summer hit.  That is the number one rule for summer hits.  The first time you hear it, it's a smash but by the 130th, it's old hat.  Carly Rae Jepsen is Canadian; she's from British Columbia.  Damn, even America's summer hits are imported.  What happened to good ole' fashioned Americana like Nelly (with summer hit 'Hot in Herre' from 2002) , Sisqo (with 'Thong Song' in 2000), Hoobastank (with 'The Reason' from 2004), or even Kelly Osbourne (with 'Papa Don't Preach' in 2002).  I realize that Kelly Osbourne is British but she was on an American reality show, 'The Osbournes' which aired from 2002-2005.  The song is a direct result of that popular show.  Before it, she was nobody in the eyes of the American public.  By default, she's 'American'.   And like the other past hits mentioned, they're all popular choices at Saturday night karaoke! Jepsen, however, is a product of Canadian Idol; she came up third on season 5 of the show.  On Canadian Idol, Jepsen covered the greats like Bob Marley, Queen, Melissa Etheridge, and Janis Ian. She came out with a single, a cover of the John Denver song 'Sunshine on my Shoulders'.  I won't put a link to it because I actually like John Denver.

  Jepsen's debut album, Tug of War came out in 2008.  Then the album, Kiss, came out in 2012 which contained the hit of that summer.  There were parodies everywhere, all over the Internet like wallpaper, but mostly on YouTube.  And like any summer hit, I liked this song the first couple of times I heard it.  By the 200th time, I wanted to vomit.  And like most summer hit phenomenons, Jepsen is nowhere to be found in the summer of 2013. With that being said about summer hits, I will recommend some alternative downloads/bands to follow this summer.  And just because the 'back to school' adds are all over TV does not mean that summer is over.  Not even close!  Summer ain't over til the fat lady (guy) stuffs a corn dog, fried oreo, and funnel cake into her mouth during the Labor Day air show!

  Crystal Fighters:
Crystal Fighters official page    

This high energy British/Spanish indie/dance-electro-synth alt. pop band was formed in Navarra Spain in 2007.  There are six members in the band: Sebastian Pringle (on vocals and guitar), Gilbert Vierich (on guitar, percussion, electronics, and txalaparta), Graham Dickson (on guitar and txalaparta), Eleanor Fletcher (on vocals), Andrea Marongiu (on drums), and Nila Raja (on vocals).  PS: the txalaparta is a real instrument; it's a xylephone-like wooden percussion cider board from the Basque region.  The band also uses the txistu (a Basque pipe whistle) and a danbolin (rope tuned snare drum).  They combine the stylings of Spanish punk, electronica, Basque folk music, and indie dance-pop.  The band envisions their sound as something of the stylings of The Velvet Underground and The Gypsy Kinds going back in time to the 1980's in the Pyrenees and utilizing Skream or Luciano on the production.  The band's first album, Star of Love was released in 2012 and their second album, Cave Rave was released in 2013.  

  I first heard them through my Iphone app, Songza.  I then downloaded and immediately fell in love with 'Love Natural'.  It is bouncy and you cannot be in a bad mood after listening to it.  'Champion Sound' and 'LA Calling' are equally uplifting.  They have the same fresh, unique sound of bands like M83 and MGMT.  I'd love to see them live because I cannot imagine a more high energy concert (other than The Polyphonic Spree).  What I love most about the songs of Crystal Fighters is that the tempo and feel of the song changes just like the topography of a great road trip.  And speaking of road trips, this is a great band to bring with you.  Just download Cave Rave from Itunes, put it in the car CD player and drive down the highway exploring every corner of wherever you are.  This band is fantastic and I highly recommend giving them a listen.  Soon, I expect and hope them to be everywhere.  Just tell everyone you heard about them here, first!  

A great show would be if Crystal Fighters and Ginger and the Ghost got together with M83 and Arcade Fire.  That would be AMAZING!!!!

 Crystal Fighter's video for 'Follow' (from Star of Love)

 

'Champion Sound' (from Star of Love)

Live performance of 'Love Natural' in LA (from Cave Rave)

'You & I' (from Cave Rave)

  

Chloe Charles:

  Chloe Charles official page

I first heard of Chloe through the 'Twittersphere'.  Lately, many musicians/artists have been finding me through Twitter which makes me feel legit.  I don't know if they first find my blog or if they just see that I'm really into music.  Whatever the reason, I have found some amazing musicians/bands through social media.  And I promised Chloe that I'd do a write-up about her music because she is amazing!  Take my word for it!

Chloe is a Canadian (from Ontario) singer-songwriter and classically trained guitarist (self-taught to boot).  I am always impressed with musicians who teach themselves instruments and write their own lyrics.  Chloe's debut EP was 'Little Green Bud' which came out in 2011.  Since then, she has performed around 300 shows in eight different countries.  Chloe is definitely a rising star!  Soon, she will be releasing her first full album, Break the Balance.  She has been compared to Adele, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, Billie Holiday, Bjork.  What got her feet wet into musical genius was when her father married Cynthia Lennon and then Chole became Julian Lennon's step-sister.  However, this does not mean that only because of this marriage that her luck changed.  Sure, it helped.  But Chloe would have been a talent and star on her own merit, and believe me, she is.  Her vocals mix with classical sounds of the violin and cello, and I'm always a sucker for strings.  Her voice stands on its own but with the added strings, she is a powerhouse of emotional charisma.  Her voice is liquidy and soft, melodic and complex.  To me, her vocals are similar to the 90's greats Natalie Merchant, Mazzy Starr, and Tracy Bonham.  She is a name that you will not soon forget!

 

 'Water' (2011) by Chloe Charles

 

 'Soon on a Snowflake'

'Business' (from the upcoming album Breaking the Silence)

Jazzahead (in Bremen, Germany) Chloe Charles cover of 'So Far Away' (by Carol King)

 Note: I didn't like this song until I heard this version.  Sorry, Carol King, but this version is better!  And those who know me well know that I RARELY say a cover is better than the original.  

The Loom:

The Loom website 

The Loom is a Brooklyn band.  YEA BROOKLYN!  I always have to plug at least one Brooklyn band.  C'mon!  And The Loom is sensational.  They formed in 2006 and include instruments such as French horn, mandolin, banjo, trumpet, ukelele and of course the classic guitar, keyboard, and percussion.  You know how I love bands that use various instruments that aren't the 'usual suspects' of rock (guitar, keyboard, drums, vocals).  The Loom's debut album (EP) At Last Light came out in 2008.  Their second album (first full length album), Teeth came out in the fall of 2011.  They went on a tour across the US in 2011 and 2012.  They are now working on their third album (second full length album) with producer Kevin McMahon (who manages: Swans, Real Estate, and Titus Andronicus).  They have been gaining a foothold after playing at SXSW music festival in Austin, TX in 2010 and Paste has hailed them as the 'best of what's next'.  If Paste gives your band that title, then it's significant, believe me.  I've discovered a lot of great bands because of Paste. 

I would say they're similar to Mumford & Sons or Badly Drawn Boy.  Maybe a newer Nick Drake.  The vocals remind me of the bass vocal stylings of Bill Callahan.  They are up and coming for sure.  I first downloaded, 'For the Hooves that Gallop, and the Heels that March' which I put onto a 'NYC badass mix' that I made for friends.  I also have the songs 'For All My Friends In Spring, For All My Friends In Fall' and 'The First Freeze' (which I guarantee will make it on my winter/holiday mix for 2013).  What I like most, aside from the many instruments they use, is the fact that some songs are high energy, and some low.  Most of their songs have a winter/fall feel and I imagine walking through the snowy, leaf barren NYC streets.  Check them out.  If you like folk and slower indie like Iron and Wine or Red House Painters, then you'll  love this band!

 The Loom at SXSW in 2011

  
Lindsay Katt: 

Lindsay Katt website 

Lindsay Katt is another musician who found me via Twitter.  She grew up in Montana, near the mountains, 'with music in her head'.  The 'voices in her head' prompted her to share music with the world and came with her on the journey to the nitty gritty city of New York's jungle.  Like Stevie Nick's inspiration for 'Landslide', the mountains inspired her music.  Later, the sounds of NYC inspired her sound.  I like that she finds art/music everywhere.  She has been compared to Joni Mitchell and Fiona Apple, and I would agree with this comparison.  Heartfelt and honest, she is the real deal.  Her music has been featured on shows like MTV's The Real World and Teen Moms but also ABC's show Castle and the LOGO film 'Sneakers & Soul'. One of her songs is featured in a Macy's advertisement (the best way for budding musicians to get their music out to the American public).  Her song' Heart Place' is the theme song for a Texas public radio show, called 'The Appetizer' that features new music. 

She plays guitar and piano, sometimes singing a cappella (without any instruments).  What's more is that she writes music to evoke social change.  I love this!  Her song 'My Home' was written for a same sex couple she knows and holds dear.  The funds raised from the song went toward Freedom to Marry (www.freedomtomarry.org).  The fact that she uses her music as a platform for activism aligns her with greats like Joan Baez or Bob Dylan.  She is the real deal!  I have many of her songs in my Itunes library which include 'Shout!', 'Diamond Dogs', 'Stick By Me', 'Not a Mistake', and 'Two Part Game'.  Some of her stylings are somber and borderline industrial rock of bands like Garbage and Poe.  Some of her songs have the pop, upbeat stylings of Sara Bareilles and laid back sophistication of Nora Jones.  Yet what I like is that her music is raw and soulfully honest like Joan Osborne and emotional like Elizaveta or Marina and the Diamonds.  Her vocals are airy like Priscilla Ahn.  The most noble, however, is that Katt isn't in it for the money or the fame.  Katt wants to use her music as a platform for activism and for spreading a message that transcends teeny bopper crap.  I will be keeping my eye on Lindsay Katt, and so should you!

 Lindsay Katt performing 'My Happy'

 Lindsay Katt performing 'Stick by Me' at The Bitter End

Watermelon:

Watermelon (the band) site

I first heard this band live last summer at The Bitter End in NYC.  One of the lead singers, Jules Barringer, is the sister of a very good college buddy of mine.  However, I'd be doing this write-up regardless of this fact.  I know how to distance myself from any personal relationship I have with a band.  This band is amazing, hands down.  There is nothing like them out there today.  They are based in NYC and play a lot along the East Coast (in Philadelphia, NYC, DC).  The band is made up of four individuals: Alex Stewart and Jules Barringer (on vocals), Thomas Griffith (on guitar), Danny Dahan (on bass), and David Karr (on drums).  Their look and sound merges the psychedelic late sixties with the early to mid soulful seventies.  They fuse blues with funk, jazz, and boogie.  Their concerts are a hootenanny, and if you go, you will be dancing and gyrating as if an electric current is running through your body.  Their stylings have been compared to the likes of Sly and the Family Stone.  They definitely would have played at Woodstock.  Even better would be to send them back in a time machine to the late 60's/early 70's to open for the Grateful Dead in Haight/Ashbury.  They are right out of a bygone era of funky afros and groovy bell bottoms.  Dig it!  

Barringer and Stewart combine vocals in a harmony unlike most duets.  They use scat and free form growls and screams to create a lyrical conversation like a ping pong match on LSD.  Blues and jazz scales make up a lot of the vocals and the two singers high energy and synergy compliment one another.  Dahan on drums reminds me of Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers.  He flails around and never sits still.  He dances and writes with his bass.  His feet hit the floor and bounce to the music creating a new dance move called 'funk the junk'.  I'm sure it will catch on soon.  Karr on drums keeps the band together like the engine of a machine/car.  Griffith's guitar riffs are highly technical and skilled yet they play with the fast and loose style of funk/blues.  He is fast and loose but not sloppy joe.  Watermelon came out with their first full length album, Sleepover, at the beginning of 2013.  I have a feeling that Watermelon will make it big (as if they haven't already).  I can see them playing all the late night talk shows (Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Conan O'Brien.  I do not have their songs downloaded but it's only because I'm waiting to see them again live and get an autographed copy of Sleepover.  But know that I would buy this album ten times over and give it out to friends for gifts.  

'YOWWYCH' from Sleepover

'Shrug It Off' (live) at Dark Star Jubilee 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So that's pretty much it for my recommendations at this time.  But know that this is only part 1 of 'summer sounds'.  I have too many band suggestions for one post.  So look for part 2 on the heels of this post, and open yourself up to some new summer sounds.  

Rock on,

~R~