Thursday, September 30, 2010

Morphine- Like Swimming

Morphine is a jazz/rock band out of Boston.  I don't have much to say here, I don't know too much about them other than the bassist plays a two string slide bass and the saxophonist sometimes plays two saxophones at once, which is pretty cool in my opinion.  Here's their album Like Swimming.

Morphine- I Know You (Pt. 3)

Morphine- Murder For the Money

Morphine- Empty Box

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Boardwalk Empire and The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Boardwalk Empire is a sick show and made even better by the song that plays in the opening credits, Straight Up and Down by The Brian Jonestown Massacre.  They're basically the creation of Anton Newcombe, who is a musical genius and crazy asshole (they seem to go hand in hand generally), and have had a revolving lineup since their inception.


The Devil May Care

Anenome

Going to Hell

In My Life

Whoever You Are

Dropping Bombs on The White House (Bring Me the Head of Heather Mills on a Wooden Peg)

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Movie Soundtracks

I love movies almost as much as I love music and part of what makes great movies so good is the music that is set to the best scenes in the movie.  The jury is still out for me on whether or not a score or a carefully crafted soundtrack are the way to go with a movie, but i enjoy either if they are quality.  Here are some of my favorite songs used in movies.

ELO-Showdown (Kingpin)

Bob Dylan- The Man in Me (The Big Lebowski)- sorry this is a shitty live version, the studio version used in the film is not up on YouTube

Kenny Rogers- Just Dropped In (The Big Lebowski)

KC and the Sunshine Band- Boogie Shoes (Boogie Nights)

Tom Jones- You Can Leave Your Hat On (The Full Monty)

Hot Chocolate- You Sexy Thing (The Full Monty)

The Champs- Tequila (The Sandlot)

The Band- The Weight (Easy Rider)-  this version is from The Last Waltz and the only version I will listen to now, when you hear it you will understand why I only listen to this version.

Zero 7- In the Waiting Line (Garden State)

Sigur Ros- Staralfur (The Life Aquatic)

Dusty Springfield- Son of a Preacher Man (Pulp Fiction)

Aerosmith- Sweet Emotion (Dazed and Confused)-  I will argue to my death that Aerosmith is a shitty, overrated band, but the combination of the first 10 seconds of this song and Kevin Pickford rolling into Lee HS parking lot in his Grand Am combine to make this the best opening scene to a movie ever.

Richard Wagner- Ride of the Valkyries (Apocalypse Now)- Charlie don't surf!

Smokey Robinson and The Miracles- Tracks of My Tears (Platoon)

The Rascals- Good Lovin (The Big Chill)

The Rolling Stones- Can't You Hear Me Knocking? (Blow)

Elton John- Tiny Dancer (Almost Famous)

Underworld- Born Slippy (Trainspotting)

Q Lazarus- Goodbye Horses (Silence of the Lambs)

Peter Gabriel- In Your Eyes (Say Anything)

Wayne Newton- Danke Schoen (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)

Phil Collins- Sussidio (American Psycho)

The Beta Band- Dry The Rain (High Fidelity)

Groove Armada and Richie Havens- Hands of Time (Collateral)

Kenny Loggins- Danger Zone (Top Gun)- Kenny Loggins was created to write perfect songs for movie soundtracks.

Joe Espositio- You're The Best (Karate Kid)- Johnny, sweep the leg.

Dueling Banjos (Deliverance)- Truly a WTF scene in a WTF movie.  Be careful in Appalachia folks.

Chuck Berry- You Never Can Tell (Pulp Fiction)

Steelers Wheel- Stuck in the Middle With You (Reservoir Dogs) - C'mon, you didn't think I was going to leave this off, did you?

EDIT:  Gary Jules- Mad World (Donnie Darko) I can't believe I forgot this gem.

and to Tim who commented on this post, you are right, "Where is My Mind" in Fight Club is a great song in a great movie.  I was just posting my personal favorite uses of songs in movies.  This was probably my longest post thus far, I could have given you guys about 30 more songs, but I had to cut it off somewhere.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Some Diplo

I've been on a Diplo kick today.  My introduction to Diplo was seeing him open for Justice at The Riv back in 2008 and at the time I didn't know he was the producer behind M.I.A, but he is/was the producer behind her hit album(I am not sure if they are still collaborating).  Anyway he's a producer from Philly and teamed up with Switch to form Major Lazer last year.  Here's some Diplo.


Diplo- Smash a Kangaroo

M.I.A.- Paper Planes (Diplo Mix)-  I don't know who that guy who lays down the first rap verse is, but he is sick.

Major Lazer- Pon de Floor

Mini Diplo Doc- this a short little documentary on Diplo recording down in Jamaica with Switch on the new Major Lazer album.

Diplo- Must Be a Devil- tell me if you think this sounds like "Hey" by The Pixies because I think I may be going crazy in my Holocaust oven of a house.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Beach Boys- Pet Sounds

Best American made album of all time, enough said.

Mono and Stereo Versions

EDIT:
 Although not a big seller for the band originally, Pet Sounds has been influential since the day it was released. Rapturously received in Britain, it was lauded in the music press and championed by many top pop stars. The Beatles, for example, have said that Pet Sounds was a major influence on their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Paul McCartney has repeatedly named it as one of his favorite albums (with "God Only Knows" as his favorite song) — completing a circle begun by The Beatles' influence on Wilson. McCartney stated that:

It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water. I love the album so much. I've just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life ... I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard that album ... I love the orchestra, the arrangements ... it may be going overboard to say it's the classic of the century ... but to me, it certainly is a total, classic record that is unbeatable in many ways ... I've often played Pet Sounds and cried. I played it to John [Lennon] so much that it would be difficult for him to escape the influence ... it was the record of the time. The thing that really made me sit up and take notice was the bass lines ... and also, putting melodies in the bass line. That I think was probably the big influence that set me thinking when we recorded Pepper, it set me off on a period I had then for a couple of years of nearly always writing quite melodic bass lines. "God Only Knows" is a big favourite of mine ... very emotional, always a bit of a choker for me, that one. On "You Still Believe in Me", I love that melody - that kills me ... that's my favourite, I think ... it's so beautiful right at the end ... comes surging back in these multi-coloured harmonies ... sends shivers up my spine.[26]

Other artists have also cited Pet Sounds as one of the all time classic albums. Eric Clapton stated that "I consider Pet Sounds to be one of the greatest pop LPs to ever be released. It encompasses everything that's ever knocked me out and rolled it all into one."[27]
Elton John has said of the album, "For me to say that I was enthralled would be an understatement. I had never heard such magical sounds, so amazingly recorded. It undoubtedly changed the way that I, and countless others, approached recording. It is a timeless and amazing recording of incredible genius and beauty."[24]
Beatles producer George Martin stated that "Without Pet SoundsSgt. Pepper wouldn't have happened... Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds."[28]
Bob Dylan has said of Brian Wilson's talents, "That ear — I mean, Jesus, he's got to will that to the Smithsonian."[29]
In 1995, nearly thirty years after its release, a panel of top musicians, songwriters and producers assembled by MOJO magazine voted it "The Greatest Album Ever Made." It was number one in New Musical Express's list "The 100 Best Albums". In 1997,Pet Sounds was named the 26th greatest album of all time in a Music of the Millennium poll conducted in the United Kingdom by HMVChannel 4The Guardian and Classic FM. In 2006 Q magazine readers voted it the 18th greatest album of all time; critics of German magazine Spex voted it the best album of the 20th Century; in 2001 the TV channel VH1 placed it at #3. The Times magazine ranked it the greatest album of all time. It also placed #2 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time behind only Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. In 2004, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.
In 2006, the album was chosen by TIME as one of the 100 best albums of all time.[30]
The album was named as one of Classic Rock magazine's "50 Albums That Built Prog Rock".[31]

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Bummer

So I've been having pretty much as bad as the last 7 days as possible.  Actually, there are people out there having much worse weeks, but it feels pretty bad to me, some very unfortunate things have happened to me personally.  In that vein, I am going to post some songs that are less than light and joyful music, but nevertheless some amazing songs.  Maybe they'll help you sometime you're bummed too.

Elliott Smith- Needle in The Hay - If you're a fan of Wes Anderson you should recognize this one.

Beck- Golden Age-  This comes from his album Sea Change which is a pretty depressing yet another genius          Beck album.

The Grateful Dead- Standing on the Moon- Probably my favorite Dead song (say what you want, there a lot of great ones), but never have I heard a man make just 2 chords so tender and emotional.

Lou Reed- Perfect Day- From one the Trainspotting soundtrack (which is maybe my favorite soundtrack ever), it fits so well with the overdose scene.

Cat Stevens- Father and Son

Modest Mouse- The World at Large- This song holds special meaning to me for its role in very cathartic moment in my life.

Neil Young- A Man Needs a Maid

James Taylor- Fire and Rain

The Black Crowes- Oh Sweet Nuthin'-  This may be the best cover of another song I have ever heard. Nailed it.

Fleet Foxes- White Winter Hymnal

Talking Heads- Heaven (Stop Making Sense version)

Flipsyde- Trumpets

Monday, September 13, 2010

The Chemical Brothers- Dig Your Own Hole

Since this is primarily an electronic music blog (hence the name), I thought that I would put up an duo that has been hugely influential and popular in the electronic music scene.  The Chemical Brothers are Tom Rowlands and Ed Simmons and they hail from England.  They started working together in the early 90's and went by The Dust Brothers.  They eventually changed their name to The Chemical Brothers due to a lawsuit from the other Dust Brothers (the guys who produced Paul's Boutique).  Anyways, they released their first album, Exit Planet Dust, in '95 and followed up with a masterpiece in Dig Your Own Hole.  Not much to say about this album really than in some places its smooth and funky like in Lost in The K-Hole, others songs on the album they can be high energy and in your face like their Big Beat counterparts The Prodigy, such as Block Rockin Beats, and with some songs their can showcase their melodic and tender mixing skills like in Where Do I Begin? (if you have seen Vanilla Sky, you'll recognize it).  All in all, this album is classic for anyone who loves the music of the 90's or electronic music in general.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Breakbot

It's been a little rough not having any internet at my house yet, but today is a great day because college football is back and I am going to throw some Breakbot up on here for you guys.  Breakbot is a French dj/producer.  His music is smooth and funky and reminds me a bit of Discovery.  Anyway, here are some of his remixes and his EP through Ed Banger Records who continuously pump out great house (they brought you Justice, Mr. Oizo, etc.).  Nobody creates house better than the French, absolutely no one.  I would like to say thanks to Mikayla for introducing me to Breakbot and you can also check out her great music blog here.

Breakbot- Baby I'm Yours

Breakbot- Make You Mine

Yuksek- Extraball (Breakbot remix)

and because its also good heres the original Yuksek- Extraball



EDIT: Forgot to give you guys this Biggie/The Grateful Dead mash-up album.http://www.siteofsound.com/uncategorized/sundaze-16/

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

In The Beginning There Was Jack...

Heading down to lexington early tomorrow so here's the best house track of all time, something I'll be listening to at least once on my trip. SUCK IT ALUMS.

Supermen Lovers- Starlight(Luca Agnelli Sax Mix)