Summer 2020 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "Crush" – Day Wave

2. "The World" – Pete Yorn

3. "Dear Stranger" – STRFKR

4. "Disco Kitchen" – Gardens & Villa

5. "Forced Convalescence" – Bright Eyes

6. "A Ghost" – Travis

7. "Motion Pictures (for Carrie)" – Steve Gunn

8. "The Wall & I" – Nation of Language

9. "Serpentine Prison" – Matt Berninger

10. "She's Stronger" – Nana Adjoa

11. "Knuckleduster" – Muzz

12. "Never Come Down" – The Neverly Boys

13. "Kyoto" – Phoebe Bridgers

14. "Running Red Lights" – Avalanches featuring Rivers Cuomo and Pink Siifu

15. "Reality Refresh" – Teen Daze

16. "Wandering" – The Album Leaf
17. "Exhale" – Jónsi
18. "Pattern 17" – Jamison Isaak

A Playlist of Songs In Honor of Mother's Day (Bands Heard In the Background Over the Years as a Family)

With fond memories of homemade gifts...

Here's a rather personal playlist honoring the Mother's Day holiday - 22 songs encountered along the way during my own days fulfilling a maternal role in the family.  It's a nurturing list of fave bands over the years, musical accompaniment to household activities or even sing alongs, providing that collective pull of related spirits with mouths wide open.  I've especially enjoyed sharing so much new music discovery, as band names were passed about until it became not mine or yours, but simply ours. 

I've never wanted anything festooned with the "World's Best Mom" on it, but I am extremely proud of the simple fact that both of my kids value the arts as something necessary and ever evolving in their lives. You can argue the nature vs. nurture possibilities, but I'd rather think this is also the result of my own mother continuing her role as cultural ambassador. She gladly squired the grandkids to concerts, museums and plays, while having a house with a piano and other instruments at the ready, along with a personal collection of music and books everywhere (plus passing down a wonderful habit of listening to music at full volume.) These are all things I was exposed to growing up as well and continued in my own life as an adult -- taking it all for granted until I found out this was not always the case in other families. 

Link to listen here and remember you can always listen to my new music playlists here!

1. "Stay Up Late" – Talking Heads

2. "Kid"– The Pretenders

3. "Modern Art" – Art Brut

4. "The Youth" – MGMT

5. "Loser" – Beck

6. "Song 2" – Blur

7. "Dirty Harry" – Gorillaz

8. "Home" – Brian Eno & David Byrne

9. "Home" – Dan Croll

10. "The Man Who Love the World" – Nirvana (From MTV Unplugged)

11. "Life On Mars?" – Arcade Fire & David Bowie (From Fashion Rocks)

12. "The Dark of the Matineé" – Franz Ferdinand

13. "What would I want? Sky" – Animal Collective

14. "Stickshifts and Safetybealts" – CAKE

15. "Roam" – The B-52s

16. "Beautiful World" – Devo

17. "Sticks & Stone" – Jónsi

18. " The Perfect Life" (featuring Wayne Coyne) – Moby
19. "Undone (The Sweater Song)" – Weezer

20. "No Surprises"  – Radiohead

21. "Louise Louisa"  – Mew

22. "On Your Way" – The Album Leaf

Jonsi Video "Gathering Stories" From Movie Soundtrack

The team behind movie We Bought A Zoo may be disappointed with their marketing decisions (another Dad in the dumps too close to The Descendants or maybe people just don’t want to see Matt Damon in that role?)  But they can’t blame Jónsi for not coming through with epic, heart-warming music for the soundtrack.  A video for one of the two original tracks created for the score, “Gathering Stories,” is now out via some inventive animation by Crush Creative.  It shows a fantastical world of colorful creatures in an Icelandic-like snowy landscape in similar hues to Jónsi’s homeland and stage design when we caught his show at Moogfest 2010. This song was actually written with director Cameron Crowe, perhaps a lyrical collaboration or decisions in the final production.  I just know I'd love to be in that room while it happened!

10+ Concert Highlights of 2010

Happy New Year! Just one more list before moving on... I was so lucky to get to see some great concerts this year (thank you again Moogfest!) Many were with bands I've been a fan of for years, what a treat. I also enjoyed the choice of warm up bands just as much as the main act such as when Beach House presented a sweetly inspired set before Vampire Weekend and The Dodos hit the stage with their explosive sound before The New Pornographers. It was a fun trip down memory lane as I remembered each and every song -- ready for more in 2011!

1. Fitz & The Tantrums, Mercury Lounge, NYC (May 28th)
2. The Dodos/The New Pornographers, Terminal 5, NYC (June 19th)
3. Rufus Wainwright, The Ridgefield Playhouse, CT (August 6th)
4. Beach House/Vampire Weekend, Radio City Music Hall, NYC (September 17th)
5. MGMT, Moogest, Asheville, NC (October 29th)
6. Jonsi, Moogfest, Asheville, NC (October 30th)
7. Hot Chip, Moogfest, Asheville, NC (October 31st)
8. The Dears, The Kitchen, NYC (November 4th)
9. The Dandy Warhols, Webster Hall, NYC (November 6th)
10. Sufjan Stevens, The Beacon, NYC (November 15th)
11. Cake, Irving Plaza, NYC (December 8th)

Late Fall 2010 New Music Playlist

As soon as I finish one of my playlists, I start another. This one began in mid-October with a few songs then it sat for a bit until I had the opportunity to go to Moogfest in Asheville, North Carolina. This three-day festival was full of names I couldn’t wait to see, ones I had barely heard of and others worth exploring (see tracks by The Octopus Project, Devo, Caribou, Neon Indian, and Jonsi). Add in a few new releases and all of sudden another lengthy playlist was ready to share -- lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  Link to listen here.

1. "Fuguefat" -- The Octopus Project
This full throttle song kicks off this Austin based group's fourth release, Hexadecagon. The indietronic band specializes in high energy instrumentals like this one which draws you in instantly for a wild, fun ride. (See my interview posted below for more info!)

2. "Total Life Forever" -- Foals
The Foals are five guys from Oxford, England with a bent towards the catchy yet complex compositions. This song is off their second release of the same name. It delivers simple sing-a-long lyrics over a driving beat and adds in hand claps just for fun – irresistible.

3. "Mind Games" -- Devo
4. "What We Do" -- Devo
Yes it's been twenty years since anything new from Devo, but you sure can't tell by these songs. The original energy in the synth-driven beats remain intact with tongue fully implanted in cheek. Their new release, Something for Everyone, is a party not to be missed.

5. "Odessa" -- Caribou
Caribou is the brain child of Daniel Victor Snaith, a prolific Canadian musician who also embraces the indietronic label. This melodic maze over an infectious groove is the opening track off his latest release, Swim.

6. "Coquet Coquette" -- Of Montreal
This band from Athens, GA has been exploring the psychedelic side of indie pop since 1994 with a raucous party of a stage show at every stop on tour. The lyrics border on crass insanity but they're always second to the sound presented. The song is off the latest release called False Priest.

7. "Should have Taken Acid With You" -- Neon Indian
8. "Deadbeat Summer" -- Neon Indian
Texan band Neon Indian is part of the new chillwave musical movement with fuzzy chords in a laid back vibe. They also grab samples as they see fit to provide a backbone to a song or merely as a reference. (For example, Deadbeat Summer contains a snippet of Todd Ruddgren's "Izzat Love?") These two selections are off their debut release from a year ago, Psychic Chasms, which has been gaining steam ever since.

9. "Desire Lines" -- Deerhunter
Deerhunter is a four-piece band with roots in Georgia and solid indie rock credentials. This melodic creation of layers is off their fourth album released earlier this fall, Halcyon Digest. Frontman Bradford Cox provides a soundscape over a drumbeat that expands into a dreamy song about childhood.

10. "Angela Surf City" -- The Walkmen
East coast indie rock band The Walkmen released their sixth studio album with this single about the same time. The quintet favors vintage instruments and dreamy buried vocals which speak of life's disappointments with earnest poetic yearning.

11. "Reservoir" -- Real Estate
12. "Out of Tune" -- Real Estate
These two songs are part of a mini-release from this band that calls themselves psychedelic surf pop under the indie rock label. It’s a bit bolder than anything so far, which brings a welcome burst of confidence. The quartet was originally from New Jersey but are now based in -- you guessed it -- Brooklyn.

13. "Get Real Get Right" -- Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens has composed this song for his tenth release called The Age of Adz, which delves into electronica along with the many other styles he's known for, from folk to art rock. He can play banjo, guitar, and drums as well as piano so there's always has an interesting use of instrumentation. Having bounced back after serious viral infection last year has only heightened the value of spiritual themes in his compositions.

14. "Go Do" -- Jonsi
15. "Sticks & Stone" -- Jonsi
Jonsi strikes out on his own for these solo project recordings, the first off his release Go and the second from the soundtrack of the magical movie, How to Train Your Dragon. Without the comfort of his band Sigur Ros and now singing in English, Jonsi is challenging himself while his musical gifts are up for grabs.

16. "Heretofore" -- Megafaun
The easy going sound of this trio from North Carolina by way of Wisconsin infiltrates this track off their mini-CD of the same name (their third release). They list "everything and everyone" as influences as the laid back layers invite all to relax and listen.

17. "Pieces" -- Villagers
Villagers is an Irish band fronted by Conor J. O'Brien whose soulful singing illuminates the dark lyrics. This song is off their second release, Becoming a Jackal.

Jonsi Interview @ Moogfest October 2010

Jonsi Birgisson needs no introduction to the fans of the Icelandic band Sigur Rós – he has served as the frontman of the band since 1994. His floating falsetto is simply unmistakable and unique in today’s music scene. On tour with his own songs from his new solo release Go, he fit in a stop at Moogfest in Asheville, North Carolina, over the Halloween weekend. His ipod was playing jazz from Woody Allen movie soundtracks as he stretched out in the dressing room backstage at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. The tour manager then allowed a ten minute sit down with PopMatters before announcing it was time to “unleash the Jonsi.”

What do you think of Moogfest and why did you choose to be a part of the festival?
I think it's a really cool festival and I am honored to be a part of it. They called and I was touring anyway so it all worked out. And I'm looking forward to seeing Matmos although I'm playing around the same time so I don't think I will be able to see them.

When did you first discover synthesizers?
It seems like they’ve always been around but, I don't really like synthesizers -- I prefer to use sampling, recording other things -- taking something and playing with it again. We do use some synths for bass lines in Sigur Rós because they sound so big and juicy.

Sigur Rós is 4 guys writing in a room and 'Go' is your songs that you've said have been filed in your head for over ten years while the band was so busy. How does it feel to have released and to perform them in concert?It feels really good. It’s been very different but I like it. For this tour I am playing with other people and that is really healthy for me, makes things different.

Do you like traveling or do you miss Iceland?
It's been a fun tour but I do miss my home. I was talking to my parents today and it was great to hear their voices. Reyjkavik is beautiful and Iceland has only 300,000 people and Reykjavik has maybe 200,000 so everything is close together. You really don't need a car to go out and get everything you need. Here things are so spread out, places like L.A. where you need a car to do anything. I also have a new house, so I am looking forward to going back and spending time there. But wherever I am, I am happy to be there.

After this tour while your band members have been busy starting families, it’s back home to work on a new Sigur Rós release planned for next year – what can we expect?
I don’t know! I don’t think about it because Sigur Rós is a band that does not plan anything. We sold our pool and have a new rehearsal space. The band will get together and start on some ideas and just see what happens. We had a couple of chances between breaks on this tour to get together and begin a few songs. Since the others have been on break for a long time they are ready to go.

I have to ask about your choice of music playing here – is this a “stage” or do you listen other new music too?
Well, is it a “stage” if it’s been ten years? This is the only kind of music that I really listen to. I have a very short attention span and this kind of music makes me more comfortable. I don’t listen to any new music – I think it sucks`. (He laughs and excuses himself for the choice of words, saying he doesn’t express himself well in English.)

You express yourself very well in English! So for Go you even sang in English, how was that for you and do you think you’ll continue this with Sigur Rós or go back to your made up or native language?It was a good challenge for me to sing in English because I had never done that before. But I don’t know -- I will have to see what happens. We’ll see.

Video from his performance here (Jonsi at 1:20).