Lissie

Lissie is a California indie pop rocker who began touring around the nation soon after she got her high school diploma. Before she knew it, she was getting airtime on The OC and was receiving invitations from artists like Lenny Kravitz to open for shows. Lissie has got a Mozella-esque voice that delivers alongside her rocker power chords, and her debut EP is now available for download on iTunes. Thanks go out to GFP reader Rebecca for directing our attention to this fabulous up-and-coming artist.

On My Chest (Morgan Page Remix) [mp3]

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Julius C @ The Knitting Factory

Thursday night I went to see Julius C perform at the Knitting Factory. It was kind of a repeat of the music/art thing at Crash Mansion that I went to a while back, as it was a few of the same bands and painters. Unfortunately I wasn't able to stay for the insanely talented Consider The Source or the fun, sassy Mugwump Collective. But it was good to see Julius C again and to hear a few of their new songs. It wasn't their best performance (in lead singer Jay's words, "a lot of things went wrong") - Jay's guitar didn't work for one, plus they were missing their awesome guitar player Kate and they got cut off really early for some unclear reason and thus skipped over 3 songs. But they had their usual infectious energy and the new stuff they did get to play made me look forward to hearing more of it in the future.

More pictures here.

I Wanna Know [mp3]
Buy Julius C's music on iTunes

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Have Love, Will Travel

Short post for today. This is not a new song. In fact it came out in 1959. But it's been stuck in my head lately and it's a good song, so I thought I would post it anyway. It's that kind of gritty, bluesy rock that I love so much.

Have Love, Will Travel [mp3] - The Sonics (iTunes)

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Mirah

Mirah is one of those artists who showed up on my itunes one day and surprised me with her delightful music. Mirah's full name is Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn, her unique middle name coming from the Hebrew "good day" or "holy day." Mirah's music is a wide range of emotions- one song can be extremely moody and harsh, the next delicately sweet. However, there is a sense of lightness to all her tracks. There is also something about her songs that makes me think that she and the Ting Tings would be great pals, but I guess I'll let you decide for yourself. Thanks goes out to Court for reminding me about this distinctive artist.

The Garden [mp3]

Pollen [mp3]

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300

Ohmybuddah, we've already reached our 300th post. Just think about all that music...and then realize it's just the beginning. If you ask me, I think that's pretty spectacular.

Since I don't have any songs in my iTunes playlist that can pander off of a 300 theme (although feel free to indulge yourself with what Hype can offer), I'm going to simply post one of my all-time favs for you to enjoy. The wonderful Maria Taylor.

Replay [mp3]
A Good Start [mp3]

and yes, I did slave away all morning creating that image.

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Jason Webley @ The Parkside Lounge

It's relatively rare that I see a show on a Monday, but last night I headed down to The Parkside Lounge to see Amanda Palmer's friend and collaborator Jason Webley. I was not disappointed.

The Parkside Lounge is a nice, dark, intimate space - great for a performer like Webley who probably spent more time telling us hilarious stories than he did playing music. I have to say, despite my lack of familiarity with his music, this definitely goes on my list of favorite shows. He was hysterical, congenial and the show was just so entertaining. His songs themselves are pretty fun (most of them anyway) - while he plays with a range of styles, I would say he has relatively consistent folky and vaudevillian influences. And he improvised his set quite a bit - playing songs from other collaborations (like Evelyn and Evelyn) that weren't quite worked out yet or an impromptu gum jingle medley on the accordion. I love that he's not afraid to be little silly and he's a great entertainer.

He utilized audience participation well, having us sing instrumental parts that were unaccounted for during his solo performance. He also had us point at the ceiling, look at our finger and then spin around to simulate drunkenness when he finished his set with a drinking song. Then we all put our arms around each other and swayed as we sang along "Drink up, drink up [...] this may be the last time you'll see this cup. If God wanted us sober he'd knock the glass over [...] Ya da dee. Ya da da" etc. (I admit I'm a little unfamiliar with the song and didn't catch all the lyrics. Sorry. Though Jason did inform us that the "Ya da dee, ya da da" section was in Russian, haha). I was also glad that I got to see him perform in completion the song that he performed with Amanda but was cut off by the cops.

All in all it was an incredibly pleasant Monday night. If you have the chance to see Jason live, I definitely recommend you take it. Right now he's touring with Amanda Palmer in Europe. He also just finished recording an album with Sxip Shirey of the Luminescent Orchestrii, which is due out probably early next year.

Ways To Love [mp3]
Purchase "The Cost of Living" on iTunes
Purchase Jason's albums directly from his website

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Minnesota Monday- Keri Noble

Patty Griffin and Sara Bareilles, meet your love child: Keri Noble. This singer songwriter had a hard time trying to figure out how to work her sound with her R&B/pop/soul voice until the day she listened to Joni Mitchell's "Blue" and said to herself, "You know what? If Joni can share her soul however the eff she wants, so can I." (Ok, that statement is merely an assumption, but Keri was really inspired by Joni Mitchell). After moving here and there her whole life, she was drawn to the Twin Cities' music scene and has been a Minneapolis resident for over 7 years. Her first album was released in 2004 and the second in 2007. Her up-and-coming EP is now available on iTunes and is currently playing on her myspace.

Watch Me Walk [mp3]

Emily [mp3]

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Let's Go Sailing

So I was watching SNL last night (side note: does anyone else think that Jason Sudeikis and Ed Helms are actually the same person, or perhaps even the world's first successful human clones?) and they did this rather innane Gossip Girl skit that caused me more pain than I could have ever anticipated. No, it wasn't the boring approach of the skit, no, it wasn't the lame repetitive small-penis joke, and no, it wasn't the fact that they clearly took the easy-out by having the actual actress from Gossip Girl show up to finally complete the small-penis joke by claiming she had one too. It was none of that, surprisingly. It was much, much worse.

This skit song-boggled me. Some bigwig at NBC decided to play a song in the background that I *knew* I knew - I could even remember listening to it religiously last fall on my walks about town- but I couldn't identify it due to the fact that the said bigwig in question totally muted down the vocals so it was just the piano track. Mind you, I'm normally a pro when it comes to those type of games, but last night I may or may not have been drinking wine and it may or may have impaired my natural genius ability, so I became song-boggled! It was TORTURE. I just sat there the entire 2 1/2 minutes trying to sing along in hopes of grasping some sort of word or phrase that would make everything click and put my mind at ease. No one around me could help me name the song, they weren't familiar at all, so I just blabbled out weak musical melodies like a small infant who hasn't quite obtained control of their mouth to produce meaningful sounds until I finally remembered the phrase "All I want from you is love."

BOOM. It was a song by Let's Go Sailing. A quick check of my iTunes confirmed this. I decided then and there to not let this terrible experience get the best of me but instead use it as a learning tool for all. Everyone should know this band. Everyone should know this song. Give them a listen. If I can save someone else from being song-boggled, it'll all be worth it.

All I Want From You Is Love [mp3]

Sideways [mp3]

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Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

Last night I had the privilege to see a nice intimate (and free) performance at SoundFix in which Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls performed to promote her new solo album, "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" It was crowded and hot and we were sitting on the floor (so we could actually see, which was a nice change from when I saw Regina Spektor there), but I enjoyed every minute of it. That is, until the freaking cops showed up to shut us down (at 9pm on a Friday) because the evil neighbors are apparently trying to shut Sound Fix down.

Amanda was talkative and hilarious, regaling us in between songs with stories of her family, making the video for Leeds United, Margaret Cho, making the record with Ben Folds, and other miscellaneous things. While she didn't get to perform many songs (thanks neighbors), it was a really great "getting to know Amanda" experience. And of course her performance was great. She switched from her keyboard to the piano because her keyboard didn't sound good through the SoundFix sound system and she was banging on the piano with such fervor that she broke a hammer. After the show, she signed autographs, talked to people and took pictures. It was really great how much time she spent with each person (though those of us toward the back of the line didn't really think so at first... haha). I have to admit I got a little starstruck, like a schoolgirl with a crush.

As for the album, I have to say I actually have a really hard time listening to it. It's so dark, dramatic and emotional - it really affects me every time I listen to it. Every song is just so beautiful but almost every one makes me really emotional. I teared up a few times at Amanda's performances. Not surprisingly, my favorite song is the slightly less heart-wrenching track on the album, - the ironically playful Oasis (still about serious shit though but to an upbeat Beach Boys like tune). My other favorites: the dramatic but fast-paced Astronaut: A Short History Of Nearly Nothing, and the haunting, quiet song about the Columbine shootings, Strength Through Music that literally brought tears to my eyes when I saw Amanda perform it in Boston. I also have to say I was pleasantly surprised to the vocals of Annie Clark (St. Vincent) on What's The Use Of Wond'rin? though in retrospect I think I remember hearing that she was going to be on the album. And of course I missed Brian Viglione's presence at the show and on the album, but they are both such talented individuals that their separate endeavors are just as good as when they're together.

Leeds United [mp3]
Purchase "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" on iTunes

P.S. I have to say to those who live in Williamsburg - call your community board and tell them how great SoundFix is and how it's an asset to the neighborhood so that they (one of the rapidly dwindling numbers of independent record stores left in the country) won't get shut down. They need your support right now.

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Bloc Party @ Roseland Ballroom

Quick concert summary for today. Last night I headed very last minute to see Bloc Party play for free at Roseland Ballroom. Having never seen them live before or been the Roseland Ballroom, I was excited.

Long before the show even started, I very quickly became wary of the all ages crowd. As my friend so eloquently put it "I feel like I'm surrounded by the cast of Paranoid Park" (aka a bunch of 14 year old over-privileged kids who think they're punks and are really rude). Anyway, the first band was so forgettable that I don't even remember their name.

Bloc Party was a lot of fun. They were high energy and have their adorable British accents. People were dancing up a storm. The lighting was pretty cool and the sound was much better than it was for the first band. The lead singer, Kele Okereke, is very charismatic - though he was a lot less hipster than I expected him to be. Overall the concert was a lot of fun. That is, until all the Paranoid Park teenyboppers thought it would be cool to start a mosh pit and I got caught in the middle of it. Moshing to Bloc Party? Really? And crowd surfing? Definitely kind of ruined the show for me because people were so obnoxious and rude. I was actually really glad I didn't have my camera with me (and thus this picture is from my phone).

All in all a good show, but like I've always said - the audience can make or break it.

Banquet [mp3] - iTunes

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April McLean

Good gracious, how come it took me so long to discover April McLean? This indie-alternative-pop singer draws inspiration from Aimme Man, Tori Amos, and Sarah McLachlan while letting her piano lead the way through her bouncy and heartfelt compositions. Her second album, Darbytown Road, was released almost a year ago, and that's where you can find the song that I'll be posting today.

Rock, Paper, Scissors - April Mclean [mp3]

As a bonus of sorts, I have to inform you that this almost became a Bands That Sound The Same post when this song by Birdie Busch played on my itunes right after April McLean. Unfotch, their ballad voices are quite distinctly different, so no BtStS post this round. Still, I want to share:

Go Go Gadget Heart - Birdie Busch [mp3]

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Big Nun

The mild mannered boys of Los Angeles-based Mad Gregs - whom I saw for the first time at Cake Shop last summer - have recently come out with a new album, "Big Nun." Great name for an album by the way. This is their first release under record label Fake Four Inc. Maybe it's been too long since I've seen them, but it seems to me that this album is a little less experimental than their earlier stuff. Or maybe I've gotten more experimental and so they just seem less experimental... *shrugs* My point is, it's poppy, which is great. And I'd say it has a little more dramatic flare to it. It's still "quiet music for intimate spaces," that - despite it's quietness - has a very full sound. They still utilize an impressive variety of instruments and noise-making stuff - how many bands can you name with a bass clarinet?

I actually really like "Big Nun." It's a gentle, relaxing listening experience - which is perfect for me today as I'm nursing some kind of flu-like illness. "Big Nun" is a good album to curl up in bed to, albeit a short one. It's only 8 songs. They've been described as "chamber pop" and I think that's a really good label for this album.

Unbelievable Amounts [mp3]
Buy "Big Nun" on iTunes

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Meiko @ The Canal Room

On Friday night I got to see Meiko perform at The Canal Room. The Canal Room is a fancyish lounge type place. It was a very nice venue actually, and this was my first time there. Drinks are pricey, but they actually lit the stage pretty well, so they get bonus points for that.

Up first was Joey Ryan, with a gentle, depressing acoustic set. His songs are well-written and pretty. His singing seems effortless. But I have to say content-wise his music is a bit of a downer. He seems to be aware of that though and even jokes about it. He was great at the in-between-song sarcastic banter with the audience, calling them out on how chatty they are and saying things like "so all you people talking got in for free, right?" or "not a lot of us guys with guitars write songs about past relationships..." and things along those lines. It's too bad he doesn't use some of his sarcastic humor in his music. My favorite song was his last one, which was really the only "happy" song he performed. It would've been nice to see him smile more. But the talent is there and I still enjoyed his music.

Meiko was up next and she was adorable. She was sweet and talkative. She told stories about where her songs came from, most of which were pretty funny. I love her voice - though her propensity for twisting her jaw to right when she sings makes it look less effortless than Joey Ryan - and I really enjoyed when she had other instrumentalists on stage (an upright bass, cello and a ukulele). It added a nice fullness. Her songs are fun and poignant. She utilizes some of that sarcasm and wit that Joey Ryan was so good at between songs and could also really use in his music.

All in all it was a really pleasant night.

Like a Cloak [mp3] - Joey Ryan - "With It's Roots Above and Its Branches Below" (iTunes)

Under My Bed [mp3] - Meiko - "Meiko" (iTunes)

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Nikka Costa

Despite being a slightly tamer version of Amy Winehouse, Nikka Costa still makes you wanna shake your groove thing while listening to her 1960's funk inspired music. Even I couldn't help but to dance in my seat when I was listening to her in the car - its *that* kind of music. If all of her songs are like Stuck to You and contain fantastic lyrics like "If you a bride/ I'll be your wedding/ If you the soul/ I'll be your Otis Redding," then expect to heart to absolutely explode with joy come October 14th, when the soul singer's newest album Pebbles to a Pearl is released.

Stuck to You [mp3]

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Beautiful Dirty Rich

For someone who claims to like upbeat, dance music, I certainly haven't been listening to much lately. Or posting much. So here is a fun, sexy dance song by Lady GaGa that makes me want to hit the clubs.

Beautiful Dirty Rich [mp3]

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Flobots

Flobots are a classical/rap/hip hop group.

Yeah, you read that right.

Flobots consist of two main Emcees, Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit, a guitar, viola, bass and drums, with their influences ranging from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Saul Williams to Bach. While I'm not usually one for rap, these guys have such perfect flow and clever potent lyrics that it's hard not to be impressed. Their songs are generally political (one of the strongest characteristics I think a rap song can have) and because of it Flobots have got a lot of press. In their song, Stand Up, which is about Hurricane Katrina, they say, "We still don't understand thunder and lighting/ flash back to when we didn't fund the dam/ Didn't fund the damn levi?/ No wonder man." Flobots also have a website, FightWithTools.org, where their fans can work together to bring change to their community, starting with encouraging people to become active and care about what's going on in their government.

Good music and trying to make the world a better place?

Take a listen.

Stand Up [mp3]

Handlebars [mp3]

Support Flobots and buy their songs on iTunes

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Sounds of Summer

Lise already posted her top 5 summer songs, but I have been reluctant to admit that summer is over. I'm still not ready for it to end, but I think I can safely list the songs that topped my summer playlist (though picking 5 is too hard, but I've managed to narrow it down to 10). The songs tend to come from all different genres all over the place and were played on repeat for different reasons, which I think is indicative of the type of summer I've had. Well, and my eclectic music taste, in general. In no particular order:

Waltzing with Lady Dawn [mp3] - Matt Jones - "The Black Path" (iTunes unavailable)
That's Not My Name [mp3] - The Ting Tings - "We Started Nothing" (iTunes)
Polite Dance Song [mp3] - The Bird & The Bee - "Please Clap Your Hands EP" (iTunes)
Be Mine Everyone [mp3] - Sam Champion - "Heavenly Bender" (iTunes)
The Blood [mp3] - Frontier Ruckus - "I am the Water You Are Pumping" (iTunes unavailable)
Talk Radio [mp3] - The Dandy Warhols - "Earth To The Dandy Warhols" (iTunes)
Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner [mp3] - The Dresden Dolls - "No, Virginia" (iTunes)
This is Where We Are [mp3] - Ravens & Chimes - "Reichenbach Falls" (iTunes)
A Song for Ellie Greenwich [mp3] - Parenthetical Girls - "Entanglements" (iTunes)
Hold It In [mp3] - Jukebox The Ghost - "Let Live and Let Ghosts" (iTunes)

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Locksley Tour Announcement

One of my favorite New York retro-pop bands, Locksley, is headlining MTV's Choose or Lose tour, which is a get out the vote type effort. The tour looks like it will be finishing up here in New York, but I think not all the dates have been announced yet. They are also re-releasing their album "Don't Make Me Wait" on September 9th. Exciting stuff!

Tour Dates:

5 Oct - Boston, MA - Café 939

6 Oct - State College, PA - Lulu's

7 Oct - Pittsburg, PA - Rex Theater

9 Oct - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick

10 Oct - Madison, WI - Barrymore

11 Oct - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen (w/ Throw Me The Statue)

13 Oct - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville News

14 Oct - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater

15 Oct - Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck

16 Oct - Denver, CO - Hi Dive

17 Oct - Salt Lake City, UT - Avalon

19 Oct - Tucson, AZ - Hotel Congress - Patio Show

20 Oct - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour FREE show

22 Oct - Albuquerque - Launchpad

24 Oct - Austin, TX - Emo's Lounge

26 Oct - Dallas, TX - House of Blues

29 Oct - Atlanta, GA - Vinyl

1 Nov - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom

Don't Make Me Wait [mp3]

Stream the Full Album
Pre-order the album on iTunes

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Love Is Trippy

Amy Kuney's list of influences include People Watching, Airports, Trees and Overbearing Stage Moms.

This could have been reason alone for me to like her, but wouldn't you know it, the girl also makes great music. Kuney's musical career started when she was 13 and her family moved to Honduras to do missionary work after Hurricane Mitch plowed through. In order to combat the silence she found there, she began to write songs. She found music producers online and sent her stuff out to L.A. and did a few acting gigs here and there with her guitar in hand (she was a folk-singer on Gilmore Girls). Her debut album, Bird's Eye View, is full of piano-pop tunes with smart tongue-in-cheek lyrics and fun horns. Check her out.

Love Is Trippy [mp3]

Rocket Surgery [mp3]

buy her album on iTunes

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Parenthetical Girls

Parenthetical Girls are an Oregon-based band who are coming out with their 3rd album next week, entitled "Entanglements." It's quirky and theatrical, classical and experimental, and I can't help but love it. My favorite track is the brassy, syncopated A Song For Ellie Greenwich, but the whole album is full of playful vaudevillian goodness with a plethora of instruments and tracks, and Zac Pennington's airy, quivery and haunting - albeit a little gender-ambiguous - vocals compliment the veritable orchestra well. His vocals portray a nostalgia and fondness for musical eras past that the music embodies - as if you're listening to his voice on a record instead of a CD or mp3 - yet the overall album style is experimental, which adds a modern twist to the album. And, I have to say, it is definitely a unique sound they end up with. I cannot come across a band in my mind to compare them to.

A Song For Ellie Greenwich [mp3]

Pre-order "Entanglements" on iTunes

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Tour Announcement - Jukebox the Ghost

Yikes I am so far behind after my "vacation"! So today, I'm going to do something quick and easy - post a tour schedule for a band that I absolutely adore - Jukebox the Ghost. Sadly, it looks as if they are skipping over the Minneapolis area though.

Jukebox The Ghost is touring with Say Hi
9/17 -- Boise, ID - - Neurolux*
9/18 -- Torrey, UT - - The Patio Live*
9/19 -- Salt Lake City, UT - - Kilby Court
9/20 -- Denver, CO - - Hi Dive
9/21 -- Omaha, NE - - The Slowdown**
9/22 -- Dekalb, IL - - The House Café**
9/23 -- Chicago, IL - - The Beat Kitchen
9/24 -- Lansing, MI - - Mac's Bar **
9/25 -- Cleveland, OH - - Beachland Tavern **
9/26 -- Cincinnati, OH - - Midpoint Music Festival (Aronoff Center For The Arts)**
9/27 -- Buffalo, NY - - Big Orbit's Soundlab
9/28 -- Waltham, MA - - Brandeis University (Usen Castle)
9/30 -- Cambridge, MA - - Middle East Upstairs
10/01 -- Danbury, CT - - Heirloom Arts Theatre
10/02 -- Brooklyn, NY - - Music Hall Of Williamsburg
10/03 -- Philadeplphia, PA- - Johnny Brenda's
10/04 -- Washington, DC - - Black Cat
10/06 -- Chapel Hill, NC - - Local 506
10/07 -- Charlotte, NC - - Milestone
10/08 -- Atlanta, GA - - The Drunken Unicorn
10/9 -- Birmingham, AL - - Bottle Tree Cafe
10/10 -- Baton Rouge, LA - - Spanish Moon
10/11 -- Austin, TX - - The Mohawk
10/12 -- Denton, TX - - Hailey's
10/13 -- Norman, OK - - The Opolis
10/14 -- Santa Fe, NM - - College Of Santa Fe
10/15 -- Phoenix, AZ - - The Rhythm Room
10/16 -- San Diego, CA - - UC San Diego (The Loft)
10/17 -- Los Angeles, CA - - The Echo
10/18 -- San Francisco, CA - - Bottom Of The Hill
All dates w/ Say HI except where noted.
*headline dates
**w/ Pepi Ginsberg, Say Hi

Good Day [mp3] - iTunes

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Feist

Quiet little post for tonight...its been a while since I've listened to Feist. Perhaps its been a while for you too.

So Sorry [mp3]

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