Music Report

I've been listening to WAY too much terrific music lately. It spans many different indie sub-genres...many of which probably just have made up names, but never fail to make you look like a connoisseur. So feel free to use them to impress your friends, family and frienemies.


I have to start at the top though...I cannot stop listening to this album, and I find myself slightly sad that the songs have to end....so then I just hit repeat. If you haven't been introduced to Bon Iver, you're welcome. This would fall under the indie folk group and the story behind the album "For Emma, Forever Ago" is almost as intriguing as the nine tracks it consists of. When pronounced correctly, bohn eevair, means "good winter" in French...probably due to the fact that most of the album was recorded in a secluded cabin in Wisconsin where Justin Vernon spent three months after a breakup with his girlfriend. The entire album is amazing, but my two favs are "Skinny Love" and "Re: Stacks". Check out their live stuff: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/47132-video-bon-iver-skinny-love-live-in-minneapolis

• Fleet Foxes also fall into the indie folk group and they describe their music as "baroque harmonic pop jams"....and as conflicting as the description may be, it works. The harmonies are amazing and this Seattle group's self-titled LP is at the top of all of the 2008 Best Of charts. "White Winter Hymnal" started my addiction....
• Snow Patrol...we all know about my Gary Lightbody obsession and how I've raved about him since 2004. No one wanted to listen to me though...not until they were featured on Grey's Anatomy. Which had me worried and not so excited about "A Hundred Million Suns" being released last year. I had this awful feeling that they were going to sell out to make the cash money, but they didn't. This album is magnificent and I reminiscent of their earlier days, which I thoroughly enjoyed! The whole thing is stellar and it's refreshing to hear more upbeat tracks...because Gary does deserve to be happy. But with the last track "The Lightening Strike", they are definitely not going to thaw out any time soon!
• M83 is a French electronic group belonging to the shoegazing genre...wiki dat. I stumbled upon M83 during 2005...it was a Pontiac commercial and in the background was this music that I needed to hear more of. So of course I had to go straight to trusty Google for "Song in Pontiac Commerical"...there it was..."Don't Save Us from the Flames". Great track! Their newest release "Saturdays = Youth" is also receiving lots of great reviews and they are touring with The Killers throughout the US. Fingers crossed that I'll catch them in Austin next month!!
• Deerhunter is a group from the ATL and is the masterpiece of frontman Bradford Cox. I was fortunate to see them perform in New Orleans at One Eyed Jacks in December...and it was a religious experience....well except for the stupid kids who decided to mosh at the show. Really? Who moshes outside of a 311 concert? Regardless if they fall under the oxymoron of a genre, ambient punk (huh?)....don't mosh, it'll only get you made fun of by the band...and that's never a good thing. I digress...the albums "Cryptograms" and their latest "Microcastle" are amazingly amazing. It's unlike anything I've ever heard and I've heard a lot....once you hear "Nothing Ever Happened" and it's 5 minutes of awesome guitar solos, you'll understand where I'm comin' from.
• Other recs: She & Him (Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward...fantastic), the new Killers album, Ra Ra Riot, Stars EP "Sad Robot", Coldplay's "Glass of Water" from the "Prospekt's March" EP, Animal Collective "Merriweather Post Pavilion"....

As a bonus for reading this installment, you get a few movie recs. Oh goodie! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a beautiful movie! If you were a fan of Forrest Gump and if you have any love for the great city of New Orleans (or Brad Pitt/Cate Blanchett), I HIGHLY recommend this movie...but bring your endurance and some tissues. Slumdog Millionaire is up for lots of awards, which means that I desperately needed to see it before the awards season begins. I didn't really know what it was about going in...and it was extremely entertaining. Great flick!! A fellow Arcade Fire junkie and I watched their "Mirrior Noir" documentary a few weeks ago....if you've seen them live or want to, download it and enjoy!