Category Archives: music

[watch] Life’s a Happy Song

Zachary Scott for The New York Times

The marketing for The Muppets has been fantastic and this latest bit is one of the best ones yet.

In the video below, Bret McKenzie (Flight of the Conchords) and Kermit the Frog (The Muppets) perform the film’s opening song — “Life’s a Happy Song”.  (Fun fact: McKenzie served as the film’s music supervisor and also wrote the film’s songs)

The Muppets hit theaters this Wednesday (11/23) and the soundtrack is out now (iTunes).

[watch] Childish Gambino Live on Conan

Childish Gambino was on Conan earlier this week in support of his recently released LP, Camp.  He performed one of my favorite tracks, “Heartbeat”, and he absolutely killed it.

Camp is most likely gonna end up as my favorite hip hop album of 2011 and if you haven’t given it a proper listen, you’re definitely missing out.  Go hear it now on Spotify or simply take my word for it and just download it on iTunes.

More Gambino:
iamdonald.com
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[on repeat] Y LUV//Earthquakes

As a follow up to their recent EP, How Chill Can You Let Go, LA indie quartet Y LUV are back with their latest offering, “Earthquakes”.

The track premiered last week on the blog Blah Blah Blah Sciencebut you can now grab it here as well…and unless you don’t like good old fashioned indie-pop, combined with chilling harmonies, explosive beats, and aggressive guitar riffs, there’s really no good reason why this song isn’t already on your iPod.

“Earthquakes” is the first of two brand new singles, so stay tuned for more!

♪ Y LUV – Earthquakes

More Y LUV:
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[watch] Snow & Voices//Maybe Finland

Director Shannyn Sossamon says “I love Lauri’s voice. When she asked me to make the video for “Maybe Finland”, I was happy to do it. Ravi Dhar, a friend and cameraman, had been wanting to have fun with slow motion on his Canon – which was actually perfect for Lauri’s voice and the songs atmosphere. We made it one late night at Ravis house where Lauri was a trooper, having to dance for hours and hours without a clear end in sight. Here it is. Enjoy the video!”

Sossamon of course is talking about the latest music video from LA duo Snow & Voices.  In case you’re not familiar, Snow & Voices consists of keyboardist Jebin Bruni and vocalist Lauri Kranz.  For the recording of their album, Anything That Moves, they surrounded themselves with a musical collective consisting of friends and musicians including Joey Waronker, Joshua Grange and Chris Bruce.  Their third album to date, Anything That Moves is a multi-layered aural landscape.  The album features eight original songs written by Kranz and Bruni, plus their cover of the Red House Painter’s (Mark Kozelek) “Mistress” (my personal favorite, btw). Produced by Jebin Bruniand Darrell Thorp (Radiohead, Beck), Anything That Moves commits the band to the moody dream-pop sound that they have become known for.

As of late, the duo has been working on The Covers Project, for which they’ve been recording a series of cover songs and releasing them one at a time, every few months or so, with a vinyl release of the collection due at the end of the year.  The first song in the series is a cover of Tir Na Nog’s “So Freely” from their 1972 release A Year and a Smile.  The second release from The Covers Project is a fantastic cover of The Cure’s “Disintegration”.  Both of these tracks, and more, are available on iTunes.

More Snow & Voices:
snowandvoices.com
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[new music roundup] 11.15.11

A few of my favorite new releases this week…

Caveman//CoCo Beware 

For fans of: Gauntlet Hair, Milagres, Bleached, Exitmusic
Key tracks: Thankful, Old Friend, A Country’s King of Dreams, December 28th

 

 

Childish Gambino//Camp 

For fans of: Chiddy Bang, VX, Tyler the Creator, The Weekend
Key tracks: Bonfire, Kids, You See Me, Sunrise

 

 

Crystal Stilts//Radiant Door EP

For fans of:  Dirty Beaches, Girls Names, Beach Fossils, Dum Dum Girls
Key tracks: Dark Eyes, Radiant Door, Frost Inside the Asylums, Still As the Night

 

 

Los Campesinos!//Hello Sadness

For fans of: Slow Club, Sky Larkin, Parenthetical Girls, Stagecoach
Key tracks: By Your Hand, Hello Sadness, Life Is a Long Time, Songs About Your Girlfriend

 

 

RACES//Big Broom EP

For fans of: Georgiaa, Exitmusic, Water Moccasins, Sounds Of Sirens
Key tracks: Big Broom, All for You

 

 

Rah Rah//Breaking Hearts

For fans of: Boxer the Horse, We Are The City, Still Life Still, Octoberman
Key tracks: Parkade, Hurt You Bad, Breaking Hearts, Arrows

 

 

This Warm December, A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2 (i love xmas music)

For fans of: Christmas…Duh
Key tracks: Party Hard, Jingle Bell Rock, Frosty The Snowman, Christmas Must Be Tonight, Angel (Holiday)

 

More noteworthy new releases…
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2
(i really love xmas music)
Goldmund//All Will Prosper
The Olivia Tremor Control//Black Foliage: Animation Music, Vol. 1 
(remastered and expanded)
Pink Martini & Saori Yuki//1969
Rah Rah//Rahmixes
R.E.M.//Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage 1982-2011
Sigur Ros//Inni (2-CDs & DVD)
Tegan and Sara//Get Along