Rilo Kiley @ Denton, TX 02-2003

(photo lenny gonzalez)

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Intro

Paint's Peeling

The Good That Won't Come Out

My Slumbering Heart

Hail To Whatever You Found In The Sunlight That Surrounds You

The Execution Of All Things

Three Hopeful Thoughts

Capturing Moods

Pictures Of Success

Spectacular Views

With Arms Outstretched

A Better Son/Daughter

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i know i know, rilo kiley again but really... there's no such thing as too much rilo kiley. especially old school rilo kiley. can i say rilo kiley again? rilo kiley. there.
got this at rilokiley.net. they used to have quite a few live recordings, videos etc. still got a few goodies available to members so go on and sign up! anyway, back on topic. have a listen, it sounds great, you will laugh too.

[rilo kiley]

edit : i'll be off for a few days, please behave. :)

we'll murder what matters to you

[photo paper tissue]

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rilo kiley / rock & roll suicide (david bowie)

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you know when people comment on your music taste and make you feel like an alien because you're not listening to taylor swift or lady gaga? (uhm)

i love it.

i was having a conversation with 2 friends - one was looking through my ipod and asking who was who, singing what etc. she'd heard me talking about metric so she asked about them etc. and she wanted playlists and whatnot. and then the other friend asked where i was finding all of this music cos obviously she didn't know any of it and it wasn't on the radio. so i said, well, if you look it up online, there's loads of great music there. and that's where people find it. and she was like.. but why would you go online to find music? who does that?
and then today, i was reading an old review of jenny lewis' 'acid tongue'. the guy was saying that he'd waited a long time to get the album because he was really annoyed by the hype around jenny lewis and her indie goddess aura. that led me to... take metric and rilo kiley. they're massive indie bands. they're everywhere. but were i to have a conversation about emily haines or jenny lewis with my friends... so funny when worlds collide like that, isn't it?

need to think...

the smiths / bigmouth strikes again

...before i open my mouth.

i'd do it all again

kaki king / lovestoned (justin timberlake)

kaki king / camp out (an horse)

don't you love it when your beloved ipod comes up with a long lost song?
kaki got me into an horse, she's cool. no, i don't really know her but i like to pretend. thanks for pointing that out.

or watch it here.

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[kaki king]

[an horse]

you can find justin timberlake yourself, right?

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oh. listen to heather nova singing 'walking higher' & 'island' here. recorded in berlin yesterday. and leipzig 2 days ago. sounds good. :) (thanks for the tip!)

with your cause and affection on my mind

tegan & sara / on directing

tegan & sara / light up

this is really hard to write about. i'm caught between omgomgteganandsarahaveanewalbumout!! and trying to make sense of it. so i'm gonna keep it simple and say that i really like 'sainthood'. haha. i'm not obsessed with it yet but i do think it's a very good follow-up to 'so jealous' and 'the con'. don't know about you but i always need to let their songs grow on me and this is probably no exception. that being said, 'on directing ' and 'sentimental tune' really stick out for me : first, go steady with me, genius - only sara can pull it off. and second, both songs show enough depth while still being quirky and uhm, for lack of a better word, cute. 'light up' is one of the songs that didn't make the record (but available on itunes) - i believe sara wrote it with her mum's point of view in mind - sweet.
i'm so proud of them, really. silly and all, but i still remember the first time i heard 'this business of art' and look how they've grown since. :) even twitter is going crazy over them! i'm so looking forward to their gig in london next month, i just know it's gonna be awesome. :)

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[myspace]

[more about t&s]

a time when we were so alive

paramore / franklin

monday monday monday. nice, i can post whatever i want, no guilt! best idea ever. today : paramore. haha.
i'd never heard of paramore until very recently, honestly. i might be too old or.. well, maybe i just have better taste? :P ouch, sorry. i didn't really mean that - it's not like they're claiming to be the best band ever, right? let's put things into perspective : they're good at what they're aiming for. i stumbled across the lyrics for that song, 'franklin', and just fell in love with them - the song itself is far from being impressive but it really speaks to me anyhow. kudos to them for writing a song about their hometown - i can tell it comes from the heart. :)

when we get home i know we won't be home at all / this place we live, it is not where we belong / and i miss who we were / and the town we could call our own / going back to get away after everything has changed / (...) so we stand here now and no one knows us at all / i wont get used to this / i wont get used to being gone

oh and... have to admit... 'crushcrushcrush' is my midnight fix. rock&roll, baby!

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[myspace]

everyday is like sunday

[photo Bahi P]

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woodpigeon / you're my only home

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sunday. i've just understood the irony of it.
yet another band from canada (calgary, anyone?), woodpigeon have released 2 albums and a number of eps while touring with the likes of broken social scene, iron & wine and grizzly bear. their third album is scheduled for january 2010 and band leader mark hamilton has described it as "simultaneously a lot bigger, and a lot smaller. there’s definitely some big surprises on it". check out their cover of the magnetic fields' 'you're my only home'. it's got a real nostalgic feel to it without being overly daunting. sunday after all.

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[myspace]

morrissey taken to hospital

watch here.

get better soon, mozzster. :/

where the trouble lies

charlotte gainsbourg / irm

i think there's a gene in every french person, something that tells us we must love charlotte gainsbourg. or is it me? not that everybody swoons over her constantly, but it's probably down to her being so graceful in everything she does. makes it hard to find faults. she's such an icon, isn't she.
anyway. first single from her soon to be released new album, irm. been listening to it for a few days and it really grew on me. strangely haunting.

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[myspace]

Fever Ray @ Lulea 03-09

If I Had A Heart

Triangle Walks

Concrete Walks

Seven

I'm Not Done

Now's The Only Time I Know

Keep The Streets Empty

Dry & Dusty

Stranger Than Kindness

When I Grow Up

Coconut

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from fever ray's upcoming deluxe version of her debut album (out late november) - the guardian is giving away the live recording until midnight monday. how cool. knew i was right to stick with them. :D

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[fever ray]

when i say i'm in love, you best believe i'm in love, L-U-V

ladies & gentlemen, let me introduce... the angels of death, the myrmidons of melodrama, the killer shangs*..

..the shangri-las!

alright. all i really wanted to say was that 'i can never go home anymore' is my favorite song ever. but i love these girls so much, i thought i ought to make something special out of it and just you know, spread the love. :)

the shangri-las / i can never go home anymore

i got to know the shangri-las through amy winehouse. well, sure, i'd heard of them before but i never took the time to listen. amy was talking about recording 'back to black' and how she'd spend hours at home, listening to various girl groups and then go back to the studio with this in mind and say, ok, that's how i want it to sound. she mentioned the shangri-las and 'i can never go home anymore' and i thought, ok, i'll check them out, sounds interesting.

the shangri-las / out in the streets

the shangri-las / remember (walkin' in the sand)

they sound different. they look different. they talk different. the shangri-las live in a world where 'always' and 'forever' mean everything. they're not just singing about love and growing up, they're showing you teenage soap opera like you've never seen it before - think romeo & juliet meet the ramones. talk about melodrama.

that song, 'i can never go home anymore', is about a young girl running away from home with her boyfriend. that doesn't quite work out, she's alone, thinking about home but pride keeps her from going back. i love that it slowly builds up and you know something is bound to happen.. the part from 1:45 to 2:20, see, here it is, i can't get over it - so damn perfect.

the shangri-las / the leader of the pack

the shangri-las / give us your blessings

the shangri-las / train from kansas city

it's not just "girl meets boy, girl falls in love, they get married and live happily ever after" (mind you, i've got nothing against the crystals, they're great) forget it - the shangri-las got attitude. they were bad. well, as bad as you can get when you're 15 and singing about everlasting love. but never mind that and listen. they're telling the best stories. it's like a tarantino movie : might not be your thing but you know it's gonna be entertaining. it's colourful, over the top and hilarious.

the shangri-las / give him a great big kiss

the shangri-las / what is love?

the shangri-las / wishing well

the shangri-las were mary and betty weiss, and twins mary ann and marge ganser - often pictured as a trio because betty and then mary ann didn't always travel with the band. mary sang lead most of the time** and being the youngest of the 4 (she was 15 when 'wishing well' was recorded) she was still able to convince the audience she was genuine; songwriters jeff barry and shadow morton often pointing out her remarkable acting skills. throw highly quotable lyrics into the mix and there's no stopping them!

the shangri-las / shout (the isley brothers)

the shangri-las / twist & shout (the top notes)***

and because i'm really really nice, i've got a few goodies for you. a few covers first:

the shop assistants / train from kansas city

johnny thunders / great big kiss

blondie / out in the streets

neko case / train from kansas city

and a couple of songs that you probably already know about.. spot the influence. :)

amy winehouse / back to black (@bbc sessions)

bat for lashes / what's a girl to do?

sonic youth / little trouble girl

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[the shangs]

[mary weiss]

*yeah, i made that one up. :D
**marge is singing lead on 'what is love?'
***first band to record that song, obviously the isley brothers and then the beatles took it to another level

i leave you with a song and a tear

the dodos / jodi

again, i'm fairly new to this. *blushes* kind of song you wake up to and that sticks with you throughout the day. be ready for a fight.

this one is from the dodos' 2008 album, visiter, but they've just released a new record, time to die.

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[myspace]

a secret i don't want people to find out about

bat for lashes released a special edition of the album two suns last month, complete with bonus tracks and a 48 minute documentary following natasha khan on her journey through spaces and places. well, you can now watch that documentary over here at pitchfork. only up for a week!

mesmerizing.

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[myspace]

oooh happiness. tegan & sara are streaming their new album, sainthood, on their myspace so go and have a listen! or just click here.

and these 2 will be taking over spinner throughout the week so be sure to keep an eye on that!

look what i got in the mail

yes, i've got friends in high places. :) it came with lisa germano's latest, 'magic neighbor' too. haven't listened to it yet - think it deserves full attention.

i hear there's a new cocorosie album in the making.. but i'm not too sure what the whole situation is - please enlighten me if you know more. :)

cocorosie / milkman

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[myspace]

monday is the worst day of the week, part. 2

mgmt / kids

and while you're at it, watch the folks from breakfast at sulimay's talk about the song & video. 'this offends 2 senses' - hahaha.

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[mgmt]

[oracular spectacular]

everything i love gets lost in drawers

[photo sasha nikitin]

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wintersleep / dead letter (and the infinite yes)

tegan & sara / downtown

the walkmen / new country

the national / slow show

jenn grant / dreamer

electrelane / to the east

dan mangan / robots

mates of state / california (phantom planet)

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put these songs together when i came back from england a couple of months ago. about longing and.. longing? do enjoy. :)

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[wintersleep] [t&s] [the walkmen] [the national] [jenn grant] [electrelane] [dan mangan] [mates of state]

magic is might

alright. i'm going to be really geeky for a bit. i figured, sunday is geeky enough so it's now or never.. i'm going to tell you about wizard rock.

yes.
what the hell is wizard rock, you ask? well, wizard rock is a musical genre inspired by the harry potter books/movies/world whatever. now, for all of you non-magical folks.... what-are-you-waiting-for?!? go and grab the books, damnit! i know, the hype is annoying. the movies are sorta boring. the acting could be way better. right. i know all of that. that being said, the books will make you feel all warm inside - better than cupcakes, better than kittens. you will cry and laugh, swear, get angry and you will love it. believe me, i've been there. :)

anyway, back on topic. most wizard rock bands write songs from the point of view of a given character, dress up on stage and act like teenagers and it's all really funny. :)

ginny & the heartbreakers / volde-who?

ginny & the heartbreakers / harry got naked

the parselmouths / what kind of name is hermione?

draco & the malfoys / my dad is rich

you got my favorite songs here. :) they're kind of... catchy.

ginny is harry's on & off sweetheart, ron's sister, hermione's friend so she's like... the coolest kid around. (or the opposite depending on where your loyalty lies, i guess) i partially named my ipod after her so here you go. (geeky, uh?) voldemort is the bad guy. 'harry got naked' is a reference to daniel radcliffe's nude scene in the play equus. never fails to make me laugh, mwahaha.
a parselmouth is someone who can speak parseltongue, ie can talk to snakes. so you know this band is gonna be quite mouthy and nasty. that song is absolutely hilarious!
draco malfoy is a spoiled kid from one of the oldest wizard families and harry's best enemy - that song is spot on, fits draco really well.

and you know what, my timing is actually really good! cos w-rock will be in the spotlight this week with the beginning of the wizard rock 4 equality rally - it's an international event bringing bands together in order to fight for equal rights and marriage equality in maine, usa. with support from actress evanna lynch. totally awesome. more details here. :)

[ginny & the heartbreakers]

[the parselmouths]

[draco & the malfoys]

[more about harry & co]

i wish you'd care

i don't feel bad about letting you go, i just feel sad about letting you know

billy bragg / a new england

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[site]

[mermaid avenue]

Florence & The Machine @ Glastonbury 2009

Between Two Lungs

Hurricane Drunk

Kiss With A Fist

My Boy Builds Coffins

The Girl With One Eye

Howl

The Drumming Song

Dog Days Are Over

Cosmic Love

If I Had A Heart (Fever Ray)

Blinding

Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

You've Got The Love

you better run!

and my heart stood still

ellie greenwich / you don't know

ellie greenwich / baby

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the ronettes / be my baby (live @ sha na na show)*

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blondie / out in the streets (the shangri-las)

spend a bit of time listening to 60's pop music, especially the girl groups from the early years, and you will come across a few names : phil spector, carole king, gerry goffin, jeff barry, ellie greenwich all worked together to shape the decade and open the door to the british invasion. i don't know about you but when i'm learning about something new, i'm always trying to focus on a few particular points and grow from that. start with the basics, right?
my journey was something like : i loved the supremes, then i got into the shangri-las, from there got a copy of the One Kiss Lead To Another compilation and started obsessing - which tends to happen a lot when i come across cool music like that anyway. i ended up getting a bit of a musical crush on jeff barry & ellie greenwich - they made the coolest tunes with the coolest bands, as simple as that.
later in the 70's and after her divorce to barry, ellie greenwich went on to record 2 albums, also singing background vocals for dusty springfield, bobby darin and frank sinatra while writing songs for blondie and cyndi lauper.
to make a long story short, ellie greenwich is one of the most gifted songwriters you will ever come across and because she passed away a couple of months ago, i thought she deserved a shout out. i'm so grateful and this is a bit of a thank you, i guess - thank you for the music and thank you for the dreams. :)

i was young, it was exciting, and i cried when i heard my songs on the radio. but i don't think it was until many years later, when i saw how the songs have lived on, that i really understood. when i hear 'be my baby' now, when i hear that boom! ch-chik! boom! intro, i get goosebumps. i really do.

great interviews here and here.

*this is a very late recording (probably around 1980) and it's actually Ronnie Spector & the Ronettes, ie not the original line up. Video can be found here. Ronnie Spector looking mighty good!

britain's got talent

florence & the machine / can't speak french (girls aloud)

florence & the machine / postcards from italy (beirut)

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bat for lashes / use somebody (kings of leon)

bat for lashes / sweet dreams (eurythmics)

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back from england. got my peter andre/jordan fix - all is well.

monday is the worst day of the week

[photo]


dragonette / okay dolore (feat. sara quin)

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[myspace]

[fixin to thrill]

or is it? go on, listen to it. you know you want to..

**

and just to make it even better :

metric / the end has no end (the strokes)

as in heaven, as in hell

[photo]


santigold & diplo / guns of brooklyn

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[santigold]

[diplo]

i'm not ready

tegan & sara / hell

[myspace]

and check this out.
sounds good, eh? but i'm still waiting for sara's songs. :P

The Dead Weather @ 930 Club Washington DC 07-09

[photo via flickr]

60 Feet Tall

Bone House

Outside

So Far From Your Weapon

I Cut Like A Buffalo

Forever My Queen

Rocking Horse

New Pony

No Hassle Night

Will There Be Enough Water

*Treat Me Like Your Mother

*Child Of A Few Hours

*Hang You From The Heavens

[via npr.org]

holy cow! (sorry) my ears liked that.

Metric live @ 930 club Washington DC (06-09)

Twilight Galaxy

Help I'm Alive

Satellite Mind

Handshakes

Gold Gun Girls

Gimme Sympathy

Sick Muse

Empty

Front Row

Dead Disco

Stadium Love

* Monster Hospital

* Live It Out

[via npr.org]

really good quality!

we'll do what we want to do

rachael cantu's new album should be out in a couple of months and although i'm fairly new to her music, i can tell you she's cool, trust me. here's an old song that i really like. :)

rachael cantu / summer of cycling

[myspace]

and here's her cover of ra ra riot's 'can you tell'! sweet. do check out her myspace, there's lots of goodies there, including a song featuring tegan quin.. yep.

dream, little girl

"I think it's more that we are not scared of being blunt about what the references are in our music. For instance, if you look at our name, The Raveonettes, it's a complete direct reference to The Ronettes and Buddy Holly's Rave On. So, in that sense, we're pretty clear about it."

sounds like my kind of band!

the raveonettes / suicide

the raveonettes / last dance

[myspace]

[new album out on tuesday]

a tourist in the waking world, never quite awake

no more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone
no more calling like a crow for a boy, for a body in the garden
no more dreaming like a girl so in love, so in love
no more dreaming like a girl so in love with the wrong world

florence & the machine / blinding

[site]

[buy]

you don't know me at all

marissa nadler / rosary

[myspace]

[buy]

welcome

the kills / cat claw


[site]

[buy]