Song of the Day

**10/19/09

The Hint - Deep Blue Sound

--------------I realised about three seconds ago that I have been neglecting the beautiful new discoveries that Myspace has if you just look in the bulletin bar. My posting about The Hint is taking place in BeansTalk, my home away from home that has the most delicious cup o' joe I've ever sipped in my limited, ADD memory.

The Hint are bound to sound a tad familiar to those who favor The Cure and a select number of slow-jam pop punk balladers, but what gets me about The Hint is their mellow aggression in their metaphorical montages. "Deep Blue Sound" contains everything from butterflies to ships running aground to describe the fall of fancy, and the movements include soaring synth and even a wailing guitar solo. To some it may be a bit cumbersome, but to others it is a thoughtful effort to exercise musical abilities. Get "Deep Blue Sound" from The Hint's third album, I Am The Hint.

http://thehint.bandcamp.com/track/deep-blue-sound

http://www.myspace.com/thehint

Music Turf: CD Alley

While visiting my sister in the town of Chapel Hill, we spent the day wandering around various locations on Franklin Street, the main area for university hubbub and brou-ha-ha like shopping for collegiate regalia, digging through thrift stores and buying archaeic things such as CDs and vinyl.

The last time I was at a record store, I had enough room to do roundoffs in it (that's a fancy-schmancy cartwheel, just to be obnoxious like that). But CD Alley was a crawlspace of floor-to-ceiling CDs, with rows and rows of music jutting from the walls and filling up every corner. Without any objective searching, I strolled a satisfied stroll out of this treasure trove of tunes with:

Nick Drake - Pink Moon

Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls

Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil

Not a bad find from a store I wanted to spend hours in, but couldn't afford such a luxury. If you crouch underneath the sagging shelves of discs, you can find rows of vinyl can be a pain in the rear to look through if you aren't sitting indian-style and have loads of patience. But that's protocol for records - the ones you love the most are diamonds among a Sahara-sized rough.

The next time I'm heading to the Hill, I'll be making a visit to CD Alley once more for some hellagood used CDs. It was, I have to say, one of the most pleasant surprises of my weekend, and anyone who's in the neighborhood should check it out.

Song of the Day

**10/17/09
Black Lips - Vendi Vidi Vici
---------------A thousand apologies for the brief post from last evening - I've been enjoying the company of family and friends for the past few days and I've found myself pleasantly distracted. My sister showed me around her college town, and we made a stop in a fantastic record store called CD Alley, which I'll be raving about in a day or so once I've formulated a worthy expose.


For now, I'll blabber on about Black Lips and their song "Vendi Vidi Vici" from their album, Good Bad Not Evil. Seems like any relatively indie band has to include a song called "Vendi Vidi Vici" in their catalogue, but Black Lips' rendition has some stylish clap-clap percussion and a drawling chorus that separates the Atlanta flower punk band from the rest. I'm pretty sure right before the guitar solo kicks in, Cole Alexander actually howls - killer! If you find yourself howling along to this song, go for "O Katrina!" and "Bad Kids."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4mfVyLxYu8&feature=PlayList&p=DF265A9074849337&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=38

Song of the Day

**10/16/09
Jason Derulo - Whatcha Say
------------------So I've been chilling out in Chapel Hill visiting my sister, who's in an A Capella group called Cadence. She's notating this Imogen Heap R&B sampler, "Whatcha Say." I'm about to enjoy some pokey stix, so enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBI3lc18k8Q

Song of the Day

**10/15/09

Christina Aguilera - So Emotional

------------------After channel surfing through three rotations of cable TV, I finally rested on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's. Most of the songs were a lollipop sweet return to the past, and I decided to take one of my own favorites from this decade (though I don't think I know enough 90's songs to pick a top 100). Nostalgia rang true and clear in one of my favorite pop bells, Christina Aguilera. I'll never remember how to spell her last name, but everyone should remember her name in pop music.

When Christina's self-titled debut was released, I'm pretty sure I was still shopping in Limited Too and getting rides to basketball practice in my mom's Chrystler minivan. But hey now - that didn't mean I wasn't crushing on the superstar stud of my fifth grade class and didn't get all torn up inside - Christina spoke to me!

"So Emotional" offers no solution to the troubled mind of a preteen exactly, but the tug-of-war motif of the song against Aguilera's angelic voice makes any dilemma seem alright. Get "So Emotional" from Christina Aguilera's 1999 chart-topping debut album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCwPYZFY7yU

Song of the Day

**10/14/09

Eminem - Beautiful

---------------It's always interesting to hear an artist say what his favorite song is, especially the favorite among his own work. But Eminem openly admits that "Beautiful" is the song that humbles him from his album Relapse, which he penned during a stint in rehab. Marshall gets a lot of flack for simply being, but with lyrics like those of "Beautiful," respect has to be paid. I've posted a link to them for contemplation, comisseration, and to put perspective to the song. Christina Augliera may have sung her own "Beautiful" against piano and songstress soul, but Eminem has his own, somewhat similar way of saying the same things. It's like divas and Detriot flavor in perfect, paradoxical harmony. Get Marshall Mather's "Beautiful" from Relapse.

**And also, welcome, new followers! Hope you enjoy!

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

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/e/eminem/beautiful.html

Song of the Day

**10/13/09

Asking Alexandria - If You Can't Ride Two Horses At Once, You Should Get Out of the Circus

------------------Something tells me Asking Alexandria wanted to drag you into listening to "If You Can't..." by making the song title both very clever and confusing. This ambient hardcore band's latest album, Stand Up and Scream features an interesting ambient-techno-hardcore combo that I couldn't help but get up and dance to. The interlude "Hiatus" leads into "If You Can't..." with a surprisingly kick-ass danceclub beat. "If You Can't..."'s lyrics may not be about partying all night long, but you'll appreciate it all the same for it's ferociously stark energy. Get it from Stand Up and Scream.

http://www.myspace.com/askingalexandria

Song of the Rainy, Cold Day

**10/12/09

Aqualung - Take Me Home

--------------Unless you are new to my musings, you have probably noticed that rainy days are ones that I rarely look at with a soggy mood (unlike my poor feet, which even wrapped in tube socks and fugly Uggs are still numb). Some of my favorite Zzz's are caught and most delicious coffee's are drunk while listening to the hypnotic diminishes of Matt Hale's piano. Under the nom de plume "Aqualung," Hale's tragically pretty "Take Me Home" sounds perfect against a backdrop of fog and underneath a toasty warm throw. Can ya tell I'm looking forward to an afternoon nap here?!

Well, if you've been blessed with fair weather, pair it with "Brighter Than Sunshine," a sweet symphony of violins and piano, and Bambi-esque "suddenly you're mine" lyrics. I'm pretty sure my heart murmers with joy every time I listen to this one. Get both songs, no matter what the weather, from Aqualung's Still Life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVAE2g5p_F4 - Take Me Home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q536JTSe40M - Brighter Than Sunshine

A Lady Gaga Menage a Triosga

Ok, I know I'm probably going to lose a couple of fans on this one, but seriously, ever since Lady Gaga blew everyone's mind at the VMA's (but no one remembers, thanks Kanye) by performing a disturbingly genius version of "Paparazzi," I give her a thumbs up.

Here are three of Gaga's works that I have gone, well, Gaga over. And ne'er fear, I will explain why they're worth your time.

1. Boys Boys Boys

---------------Who doesn't want to hear like they taste like glitter and rock n' roll or go see the Killers and make out in the bleachers?! "Boys Boys Boys" screams to every fly female and gay bar around the world, and the disco club essence of The Fame tells stories of getting lost in Ferarris and dancing all night long in retro sneakers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXH36Juzwkk

2. Paparazzi (Live at the 2009 MTV VMAs)

---------------Like I said, the performance at the VMAs is the reason for this post. If you don't immediately understand the wheelchair or the blood, then looking at the real music video will help. But basically, the man she canoodles with pushes her over the edge, and the story goes from there. And her wig starts to fall off while she plays piano!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzQYhb90WcI

3. Beautiful Dirty Rich

--------------At first listen, or at the title, you would assume this song could be the theme song to Gossip Girl. But in reality, all the fun has cut back the funds, and what's a fabulous wealthy socialite to do?! Even if the answer is unclear, you can still just dance...it'll be ok...dada doo doo...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvhwIpspk-w

Song of the Day

**10/11/09

The Whitest Boy Alive - Burning

----------------Friends, romans, countrymen - lend me your ears! I have come to proclaim a new website introduced to me - 8Tracks.com. To put it simply, you create a mix of eight songs or roughly 30 minutes of music and you share and compare with others. My friend Nicki created a mix that included The Whitest Boy Alive, a group based in Berlin led by Erlend Oye. Imagine The Strokes and Beck making passionate yet mellow love and concieving a subtly funky babe wrapped in swaddling yet trendy clothes. Open up a door to The Whitest Boy Alive 2006 self-titled album, and create your own tracklist on 8Tracks.

http://8tracks.com/

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