there is so much more

I first heard about Brett Dennen a few years back when his self titled CD came out and got sucked into his unique voice and fun folk music right away. A young musician from the west coast, Brett has a fun style of folk-pop that easily catches your ear. He's been featured on indie radio stations across the country and even fellow singer/songwriter John Mayer has said his newest CD So Much More is "A beautiful and spirited record. Instantly likeable." His CD has not left my playlist for awhile and I hope it doesn't leave yours.




Ain't No Reason

She's Mine

love ain't fair

I just got on my hands on the Gotye CD and while I haven't even given it a listen all the way through, I'm already loving it. It really isn't like many other CDs I have heard this year. He has a beautiful voice along with some fun electronic, eclectic beats. Heart's A Mess is a truly amazing song. Just give it a listen, you won't be sorry.

Pick apart
The pieces of your heart
And let me peer inside
Let me in
Where only your thoughts have been
Let me occupy your mind
As you do mine


Heart's A Mess

wake up, it's almost over

My lovely music soulmate Andrea had sent me some of Kunek's mp3s awhile back but didn't get her hands on the album until recently. I finally got a chance to give it a listen and it's fantastic. They're a relatively unknown band from Stillwater, OK who have finally put out their debut CD, Flight of the Flynns, for all of us to enjoy. Along the lines of Radiohead, Sigur Ros, and Elbow....this is some beautiful stuff.

Oklahoma's six-piece of talented multi-instrumentalists offer twelve songs that reflect the theory that music is a delicate intersection of science and emotion. Hypnotizing melodies that are at once hopeful and solemn, layers of complex harmonies, and spellbinding rhythms. The result is tuneful and complete, and from it all comes a sincerity, confident in the knowledge that this is music they've wanted to make all along.

Coma

All Together


And also, another treat. A live video of the beautiful "Coma":

we will make some shelter

So I have heard mention of Midlake on a few blogs and websites across the web, but it has been one of those bands that you see everywhere and somehow don't get a chance to listen. Well, it's about fucking time I did. Wow, these guys are awesome.

They have a bit of a 70's rock kind of feel to them, mixed with some current indie flavor. Tim Smith's vocal's will hook you in from the beginning. Their newest CD The Trials of Van Occupanther has not left my playlists since I got it. This one will be in my top 5 of 2006, no doubt.

Midlake might be stuck in the '70s, but they make it sound like the best place on earth.

Roscoe

Bandits

Young Bridge

Sunday night blues

While it was a rough weekend, I was also lucky enough to get lots of delicious music. Here are some tunes that have hit home the last few nights. Some are old and some are new, but all are fantastic.

Sunday nights are the wooooorst.

Brandi Carlile - Fall

Horse Feathers - In Our Blood

Ane Brun - My Lover Will Go

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife 3

music of 2006

so I have finally put together the list of every CD that is in the running for Top Ten Albums of 2006! It's going to take some time to cut it down to 10, but here is the list as of 11.11.06. Wish me luck! I'm sure I left some good ones out, so please let me know.

Adem – Love and Other Planets
Alejandro Escovedo - The Boxing Mirror
Alexi Murdoch - Time Without Consequence
Amos Lee - Supply and Demand
Amy Millan - Honey from the Tombs
Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive
As Tall as Lions - As Tall as Lions
Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Ben Kweller - Ben Kweller
Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers
Brett Dennen - So Much More
Califone - Roots & Crowns
Cat Power - The Greatest
Citizen Cope - Every Waking Moment
Cold War Kids – Robbers and Cowards
Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae
Damien Jurado - And Now That I'm In Your Shadow
Damien Rice – 9
David Mead - Tangerine
Dixie Chicks – Taking the Long Way
Fink - Biscuits for Breakfast
Fionn Regan - The End of History
Garrison Starr - The Sound of You and Me
Gary Jules – Gary Jules
Glen Hansard (of The Frames) - The Swell Season
Gomez - How We Operate
Greg Laswell - Through Toledo
Griffin House - Homecoming
Hem - Funnel Cloud
Horse Feathers - Words Are Dead
Ill Lit - Tom Cruise
Jack Johnson & Friends - Curious George
James Morrison - Undiscovered
Jason Molina - Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go
Joe Purdy - Only Four Seasons
John Mayer - Continuum
Jolie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You
Josh Ritter - The Animal Years
Josh Rouse - Subtitulo
Junior Boys - So This is Goodbye
Kate Havnevik - Melankton
Keane – Under the Iron Sea
Leigh Nash - Blue on Blue
M. Ward - Post-War
Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
Milosh - Meme
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Ozark Henry - The Soft Machine
Paolo Nutini - These Streets
Paul Simon – Surprise
Piers Faccini - Tearing Sky
Ray LaMontagne – Until the Sun Turns Black
Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
Rocky Votolato - Makers
Rose Melberg (Softies) - Cast Away The Clouds
Sam Roberts - Chemical City
Sean Watkins - Blinders On
Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
Sonya Kitchell - Words Came Back To Me
Stephen Fretwell - Magpie
Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche:
Syd Matters - Syd Matters
Teddy Thompson - Separate Ways
Teitur - Stay Under The Stars
The Cake Sale
The Damnwells - Air Stereo
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
The Frames - The Cost
The Kooks - Inside In Inside Out
The Weepies - Say I Am You
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Tony Lucca - Canyon Songs
Vetiver - To Find Me Gone
Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams

each wave that breaks

Wow. I just found out about Piers Faccini today and I'm already in love. Piers is a frenchman who is the newest member of the Everloving Records family (home to Jack Johnson and Joseph Arthur).


This guy has one hell of a voice, that's for sure. His CD Tearing Sky just came out this week in the US and has everything from folk to blues and matched with his gorgeous voice, it comes together as some beautiful music. Apparently he is currently on tour overseas but hopefully he will be coming to the states soon. I am gonna have to catch this guy before he gets big. This is a great CD to pop in on a lazy rainy Saturday afternoon.

Merci beaucoup Piers for some gorgeous music.

Each Wave That Breaks (wow.)

Days Like These

says Theresa

Greg Laswell - Sing, Theresa Says

more to come on him later....until then, watch and enjoy. cool video and great song.

i keep your devil in a box

I discovered Ill Lit on the Itunes singer/songwriter music store spotlight and fell in love right away. His newest CD, Tom Cruise, came out this July. This CD is definitely going to make a spot on my top ten of 2006. (which I have to start figuring out!!) He's got a beautiful voice mixed with some catchy melodies.

On Tom Cruise, Ill Lit bring the cold frequencies of electronica back to their warm roots, kind of like Calexico meeting Iron and Wine meeting Wilco on the short-wave radio band. Rich and intelligent, Ill Lit's music will make you smarter… and richer, if you know what I mean.

Tom Cruise may be a little off the mark, but this CD definitely is not.

Satan's Doing Fine Without Me

Worth the Wait

You Left After Work

if you would

So as I was browsing the magazine racks for some music mags, I came across Harp Magazine. Never seen it before so thought I would give it a try. Well, I must say...it blows all the rest out of the water. Fantastic articles and reviews on albums. Along with tons of ads for musicians I have not heard of, yet.

I saw an ad for a group called Califone and decided to browse on their Myspace, as I often to, to check out their music. Loved it after the first listen. I guess you could put them under folk/indie rock/experimental. But enough with the labels, just give them a listen.

This is a very original group who are really hitting their stride. They write interesting melodic songs, they've got brilliant ideas for arranging and production, and they've got the studio savvy to pull it all off in spectacular fashion.

I'm sold.

Spiders House

Sunday Noises

The Orchids

I'm gonna give you everything

I first discovered M. Ward last year when his CD Transistor Radio was released. While it was a favorite of mine it never made it to my top ten of 2005. His newest release Post-War just may make the cut for 2006. The album was recorded with the help of a slew of fellow indie-rock cohorts, including Neko Case, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and Saddle Creek's Mike Mogis.

M. Ward easily overcomes the inherent limitations of the "guy with guitar" genre by virtue of his dusty, vintage style, marked by deep echo, cracked vocals, and a guitar that sounds like it blew in on an island breeze. And with each new album, Ward has gotten better at writing to suit the presentation.

This guy is really great at getting under your skin but leaving you wanting more. Ghostly beauty.

Poison Cup

To Go Home

Post-War

still waiting for the Cake

As I mentioned in this post, The Cake Sale is a whole fabulous group of musicians coming together and making a CD for a good cause. There has been buzz about this CD all over the internet and I can't wait for it to get out! Until then, the video for "Some Surprise" featuring Lisa Hannigan (she sings with Damien Rice) and Gary Lightbody (of Snow Patrol) has been released.

Enjoy, it's beautiful.

hope won't weigh you down

Even though it's a little after October 31st, I thought I would share a little Halloween, Alaska with you all out in blogging land. While they might have an interesting band name, their music does not disappoint. These are another group of guys who would fall under the "Electronic Rock/Pop" category, kind of similar to Milosh who I have posted about before. When I put together my top ten CD's of 2005, these guys were honorable mentions, but I now I wish they could have made the list. Anyhow, these group of 4 musicians make some beautiful electronic pop. Spooooky....

Call It Clear

Drowned

Bad News Sticks

the endless summer nights

Nick Drake is music at its absolute finest. This man has put out some of the most beautiful folk music ever. I only wish I was alive to see this man live, I can't even imagine how amazing it would have been. Sadly, he passed away in 1974 from an overdose of antidepressants, but his music lives on forever. Many people might remember his song Pink Moon being played in the VW Cabrio ad in the late 90's . Every single one of his CD's has gotten perfect reviews, but my personal favorite is "Pink Moon." Every track is folk at its best. We miss you Nick.

Pink Moon

One of These Things First

From The Morning