Assorted Nuts

The Life of Riley

Apple of my eye

When I watch TV, I am sometimes pleasantly surprised when I hear some of my favorite songs played in commericals, such as "The W.A.N.D." or "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" by The Flaming Lips. Well, it has happened again this time in an iPhone commercial (I think, I don't really remember). I recieved a blast from the past when I heard "Signal in the Sky (Let's Go)" by the Apples In Stereo. Not only is this my favorite song by this band but it also has one of my favorite all time music videos featuring none other than the Powerpuff Girls!

Signal in the Sky (Let's Go) by The Apples In Stereo:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EThpr1u4GaE

And another video featuring a great band singing about a great cartoon- Courage the Cowardly Dog by They Might Be Giants:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=AbKby_0kHKg

More powerpuff love... Go Monkey Go! by Devo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lYZcIC6bqU&feature=related

Download your favorite Cartoon Network Groovies here:

http://www.cngroovies.has.it/

Movies: The Dark Knight

After Batman Begins, I had great expectations for the new Batman movie. The Dark Knight did not disappoint. This film went above and beyond your average action movie, bringing into question the concepts of morality, justice, and what it is to be a hero. Without exaggeration, this movie made me laugh, jump out of my seat, and it almost made me cry. This movie has enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat at all times. Heath Ledger steals the spotlight with a phenomenal performance as the Joker.

Sigur Rós: Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust

Though the title of the latest release from Sigur Rós may seem like a mere jumble of letters (or for that matter, a bunch of gobbledigook), it translates into English as "With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly." One could only hope that this Icelandic group does play endlessly, producing more beautiful music for all eternity. Once again, Sigur Rós deliver what they are most well-known for: beautiful, soaring, ambient music. On this Sigur Rós paints a frosty landscape of untold mystery and wonder which is characteristic of their earlier work. However, this does not mean that the group's sound has gone stale. In fact, it is quite the opposite as there are many delightful surprises to be found. The album kicks off at a rapid pace to the sound of hand claps, call-and-answer guitars, and la-la-la's with Gobbledigook, a quick and intensely fun number that still manages to show off their harmonizing talents at a tempo befitting a pop song. The second track, Inní mér syngur vitleysingur opens like a cheerful children's parade, bouncing forward at a joyful pace. Midway through the album lies perhaps the album's best song, Ara Bátur, which really showcases singer Jónsi Birgisson's vocal talents. The song starts with just piano and vocals but eventually peaks in a heavenly, epic climax with the aid of 67 piece orchestra and a children's choir. The final surprise comes at the end of the album with All Alright, the first Sigur Rós song to be sung in English. Overall, the album is beautiful, triumphant, sorrowful, joyful, empty, full, fast, slow, wonderful, beyond description. Listen to it.

Sigur Rós website download page:

http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/media/

Myspace page (featuring helpful audio clips of pronunciatons):

http://www.myspace.com/sigurros

Samples available on last.fm:

http://www.last.fm/music/Sigur+R%C3%B3s

The Eve of the Dark Knight

4th Grade Essay...Why Aesop Rock is my Favorite Rapper

The easy answer here is that he simply is a great rapper. Not only are his flow and lyrical aptitude impressive, his music reaches outside the box of mainstream rap and is both refreshing and plain great to listen to. But, in order to further elaborate on why Aesop Rock is my favorite rapper I prepared a few reasons.

First, he created my favorite rap album, Labor Days. Released in 2001, Labor Days was Aesop Rock's first release as part of the Definitive Jux label with production split between Aesop Rock and Blockhead, with one track produced by Omega One. The overall message of this album deals basically with the idea of labor, from pursuing one's hobbies, to the modern worker's place in society. From beginning to end, Aes unleashes an earnest, intelligent flow laden with delicious nuggets of wisdom and sharp bits of wit over a diverse and changing soundscape. Sounds vary from plucking strings to guitar and bass to slinking jazz to haunting Asian melodies. The lead single, Daylight is my favorite track, showcasing some of Aesop Rock's greatest lyrical work over a warm bassline augmented by a watery organ, a lonely flute, and oddly juxtaposed horns. The result is a near-masterpiece and the cornerstone of the album. Other highlights include Labor, Flashflood, No Regrets, Coma, Battery, Boombox, and 9-5er's Anthem.

Second, he encourages us to get exercise. In a seemingly odd move for an underground artist, Aesop Rock partnered with Nike to create All Day, a 45 minute continuous mix designed to turn a workout into something much more. He accepted the job because he hadn't done something like that before and provided him a challenge which allowed and required him to work with new sounds. The idea was to make the listener feel as though they were moving through a landscape by adding in new sounds and layers as others faded out. The music had to remain new and interesting while continuing to motivate and propel the listener forward at a certain pace. It is fun to listen to and it actually made me want to run.

Third, he just goes beyond a lot of the stupid crap you see in rap music today. He doesn't rock bling and he doesn't slap ho's. He doesn't devote albums upon albums to self-promotion or stories of the thug life. To put it simply, he keeps it real while keeping it strangely surreal.

Labor Days and All Day can be purchased on iTunes

Daylight

http://www.last.fm/music/Aesop+Rock/_/Daylight

A video for Pigs a hidden track on his newest album None Shall Pass

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=25641628

My favorite song from None Shall Pass

http://www.last.fm/music/Aesop+Rock/_/Keep+Off+The+Lawn

None Shall Pass video

http://youtube.com/watch?v=l1u43KDiWD0

The Fratellis: Here We Stand

Tonight I give up my album-reviewing virginity with a look at Here We Stand by The Fratellis. Over the 6 or 7 months I had fallen in love with The Fratellis debut Costello Music. I delighted in its unabashed, youthful pub-rock sound and the catchy story-telling lyrics. It quickly made it on to the list of top albums (most heavily dominated by Radiohead) not because of its innovation or artistic merit, but simply because it was fun to listen to and had a lot of songs that I could enjoy again and again.

When I learned of The Fratellis' sophomore album I eagerly anticipated for of the same high-energy pub-rock from the British trio. However, I was disappointed but at the same time pleasantly surprised. On Here We Stand, the group makes an effort to move away from this sound for better or worse. They experiment with different guitar tones, sometimes opting for a heavier sound than is typical of their earlier work. More focus has been put on guitar riffs rather than just rhythm guitar. Guitar solos are longer and more frequent than on their previous album. Also notable is the use of piano in several of their songs and a broadened range of percussion.

Overall, they have a created a more diverse sound. Even though this shows the band's potential for growth, it also brought them close to music clichés in several songs, with predictable melodies and song structures. However, there are always a few surprises waiting around the corner, and The Fratellis have proven that they always have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Highlights:My Friend John, Baby Doll, Look Out Sunshine!, Milk & Money

Lowpoints: Jesus Stole My Baby, Straggler's Moon, A Heady Tale

Here's a link to the music video for their single Mistress Mable:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pVAQoBwXR20

Songs in the Key of R&B

I first heard Alicia Keys' new single Teenage Love Affair on a VH1 video countdown while in a Orlando hotel room. I could never claim to be a fan of modern R&B but this song caught my...ear. Teenage Love Affair gets back to the roots of R&B. Keys' soaring vocals are well-accompanied by an old-school groove infused with her distinctive piano playing. Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSaSDYYwZNM

Charmed

My first music post will focus on a most interesting group. Charming Hostess is a group of multi-instrumentalists and impressive vocalists. I'd label this band under the general genre of World Music even though such a plain description doesn't do them justice. Anyway, instead of me talking about them, here are links to some songs and their website. Check it out!

Dali Tzerni, a wild and upbeat song with an irregular meter:
http://www.imeem.com/obilic/music/GBpEWjLK/charming_hostess_dali_tzerni/

Death is a Job, Bosnian resistance poetry sung a capella over beat-boxing.
http://www.last.fm/music/Charming+Hostess/_/Death+Is+A+Job?autostart




The Charming Hostess website:
http://charminghostess.com/index.html

Welcome to the Bungle

Howdy ya'll! Welcome to my blog! I started this blog because it seemed like the cool thing to do and I felt the need to be completely unoriginal and entirely hipocritical. Also I was bored. So it may be a week or possibly even a month in which I maintain this blog before I get bored with it and forget about it. But before that I will use this blog to showcase music and other things that I like because I obviously have better taste than anyone else. So enjoy!