Andrew Bird

New sounds from my stereo in a new year, pretty wicked combo. Andrew Bird is the latest new sound, introduced by my brother. Before I begin talking about Andrew Bird, let me first say, eight years ago I would have never though I would be hearing about great music from my older brother, much less my younger, but overtime I have morphed and older bro hooks it up nicely. Andrew Bird is different. Different than anything else I listen to, it's almost just a combination of good things. First off, I would categorize it as alternative to the max, there's awesome cello(?) mixed with the effects of Arcade Fire, and toss in the vocals of the Killers. It's good stuff and the words are interesting and thought inspiring. Definately check out the first and last tracks on Armchair Apocrypha.

The Grateful Dead

Hmmmm this post doesn't even really have to exist, there is nothing I can say that hasn't been said with better wording. All I need to say is holy shit, if you haven't been listening to the Dead then change your ways, repent and the music gods may forgive you if they're feeling merciful. Grateful Dead has far too many good songs for me to bring up in this little blog but a good place to start is Terrapin Station, there's a whole cd titled that but check out the song, you'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll lose fifteen pounds. Trust me, start tuning into the dead even if you aren't a pot-head hippie like they are so closely associated with.

THE POGUES

The pogues were, like much of the music I listen to, introduced to me by my father at a very young age. ( I was at a very young age, not my father.) They're the ground work for bands nowdays like the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. There are differences and all three bands are really quite good, but I'm writing about the Poques right now dammit! Anyway the pogues have a cd titled "Hell's Ditch" which is loaded with good songs. I personally like "summer in siam" and "Sunnyside of the street" If you haven't heard of the Pogues you should definetly check them out, they're old as dirt now and actually pretty scary looking, but they're still touring which is pretty wicked no?

FEIST

This past weekend I dropped the bomb that is Feist on my friends. (my friends have never heard her). It went over pretty well with some and not so well with others. As I've mentioned before, nobody touches my stereo, well they shouldn't anyway. Friday night I was playing a little Feist and got up to urinate, as I was draining my main vein my buddy decided to touch my stereo and change the song. This is a bold move. I asked him why the hell he changed it and he replied, "I'm not a lesbian so I don't like lesbian music." How lame! I don't think I would consider Feist lesbian music. True I was introduced to it by a lady friend who has sometimes talked about wanting to be lesbian but she's not and I don't think Feist is either, atleast I hope not because I've been trying really hard to get ahold of her ever since I saw her sexy self on Conan a couple weeks ago. Anyway check her out, she's worth it and if you think it's lesbian music, go fuck yourself.

Wilco and The Shins

Wilco and The Shins I'm blogging about in the same post because they are somewhat the same to me. I know that probably offends die hard Shins fans and Wilco fans alike but hey, its not your fuckin blog right? Anyway I hope I redeem myself to those fans because I really enjoy these band's music.
My brother and I saw Wilco live in Duluth back in September, and it was a wicked experience. The show was at the Bayfront Park on a cold (for September) drizzly night. I had really not listened too to much Wilco ( sans Jesus etc. ) before the show but was quite the fan afterwards. That says something for a band by the way. They have at least four good songs on each of their albums, which as my father taught me, makes a pretty good band. My favorite songs:
1) Either Way
2) Hummingbird
3) A shot in the arm
4) Handshake Drugs
5) Why would you wanna live
The Shins also have the different kind of sound that Wilco does, funky and intuitive, they have a number of good songs as well. Their new album is probably the best one in my opinion but they have really good songs on previous albums as well such as the songs: Girl on the wing, and New slang.

Old Crow Medicine Show

Good old bluegrass from Tennessee. A lot of people probably know their somewhat hit "Wagon Wheel" and if you've heard it, you dig it and if you've heard it but don't dig it, then piss off. Old Crow has alot of other good songs on their album. A lot of their songs may not be the traditional bluegrass theme, instead singing about cocaine..a lot. They also have a really good song about going to Vietnam titled "Big time in the jungle" My favorite song on the album though is titled "Take them away," this song is about being a black man working on a chain gang. " Some birds feathers are too bright to be caged, I know I ain't that colorful but a bird just the same." is just one of the many great lines in this song. I'm not sure if the song is a classic or one that they wrote themselves but either way, solidly groovy. A song that isn't even that bluegrass-e so if you didn't like "wagon Wheel" and you didn't piss off when I asked you, then you might even enjoy it.

Gordon Lightfoot

My older brother, whom I love and respect even after this comment, once said he is the only one in our family who doesn't like Mr. Lightfoot, and his reasoning being that he sounds like a pedophile. My roommate, who I also hold in high regard, disrespectfully calls Gordon Fatherfoot. This really makes my blood boil, but as I can easily say and totally disagree with; to each his own. Only a foolish idiot would not be able to appreciate Gordon. Granted it isn't very high paced or exciting all the time but he has so many good songs and has been around for a really long time and is still playing shows, even if he does look like the living dead, as my friends Chris and Kacy described him after his show. Top three Lightfoot songs are:
1: Canadian Railroad Trilogy
2: Summer Side of Life
3: Circle of Steel
I especially like Canadian Railroad Trilogy after a trip to the Canadian rockies this past summer. Driving through them and listening to this song was extremely rad. "Long before the white man and long before the wheel, when the green dark forest stood too silent to be real." Really struck a cord. Looking into the woods as we zoomed by, imagining what it was like before this road. Anyway the song is a type of timeline, from then to now, anyway its all good and Gordon, unlike some other bands, does have a fair amount of lame songs. Still his music is great and he is a god damn legend, the Babe Ruth, some may say, of Folk Music.