I have recently geeked out with Google and Youtube just looking for unheard of songs that should have been way more well known. I have come across quite a few mediocre bands, of course that is just my opinion most were not my taste, but I also have ran across some absolute gems. Most of these are older around the 70's or 80's but I can't resist sharing them.
Be Bop Deluxe - Ships In The Night
Python Lee Jackson - In A Broken Dream
The Style Council - My Ever Changing Moods
Masters Apprentice - Turn Up Your Radio
Roger Glover - Love Is All
Smokie - Don t Play Your Rock n Roll To Me
Pluto - Rag A Bone Joe
Mud - Tiger Feet
1/21/2011
Water Blogged
Once we breathed under water, shook hands with fins, battled our wars with instincts and teeth. Once we grew curious of the sun, filled our lungs with the air, we walked all over the earth as explorers. Once we stood upright and tall, reached for the stars and cried, built empires and learned language. Then we became industrious and wise, power hungry and afraid, we reaped what we sowed. Then we became diseased and infatuated, we forgot our fellow man and built up walls, everything burst with electricity and we forgot the outside. Then we became alone, hollow shells left buried in the sand, withered into dust and blown back to the sea.
The Thermals - Back To The Sea
The summer was hot, hottest in years. Maybe that was why everything happened like it did. You know, you get hot you get agitated. Kind of like being in a traffic jam, it's really no ones fault but everyone pisses you off. That might just be me, I do have a serious case of road rage. At least that is what she would always say to me. I defended myself when she said that. Seems I was defending myself a lot when I was with her. Stating cases and explaining feelings. We probably could have been the best debate team in the world if we would have gotten along. We were a puzzle that never had the right piece. All the cooling off in the world didn't help us out. Things get hot, pour water on us to put out the fire and we'd just turn it into steam. It was doomed from the beginning.
Jenny Owen Youngs - Led To The Sea (No Longer Available)
If you're ever going to float, you have to drop the weight.
Superchunk - Learned To Surf
They finally turned out the last light and went to bed. I laid there silently still, in my jeans, shoes on heart beating. In my sweatshirt pocket I pull out the tiny folded paper. I can barely read it in the moonlight showing in my window. I don't need to but I do cause it makes me smile. "Meet me on the banks at midnight. Don't get caught. xoxo" I prepared everything before hand. Step ladder. Check. Oiled hinges. Check. Extra key just in case. Check. As I slip out into the cool damp darkness my heart is beating and the blood is rushing, adrenaline and excitement. Crickets, bullfrogs and gravel under foot come together in a symphony. Through the treeline and into the wild, the air gets heavier. The scent of moss and wet, fishier. I can see the lights shimmering off the soft ripples. People cozy in their lives or crying with their wives. Tonight there's a spot for two on the bank, breaking rules, teenage romancing. Tonight the stars and I will sing her to sleep.
The Drums - Down By The Water
I have been burdened too long by your bored sighs, forked tongue lies and red wet eyes. I was once eating out of your hand, while you foraged across the land, lying down with anyone who could stand. No more animals on my back or in the room that I wish to speak about, I'm not letting you're haunting words fill me with doubt, I can do much better without. Packing up our baggage and letting it drown, no longer can your hands hold me down, you can't dull this new jewel I found.
Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land
Sharks! Sharks! Circling around me! Masked men pulling out their guns! Flee! Flee! Flee! Move quickly kid because there ain't much time. Soon the lawmen will be here and our lives will be on the line. We get what we came for nothing else, remember the foolish man who is caught, keeps nothing for himself. Emergency! Emergency! The horns blowing loud. Cough and cough, the smoke is our shroud. Dive in and swim we'll get away Scott free. This life of pillage and plunder is the only life for me!
Mark Mothersbaugh - We Call Them Pirates Out Here
...and now we make no sense on dry land
Volcano Choir - Island, IS
Music From The Mitten. They're GR-ate!
I have been doing this blog long enough without shining a spotlight on the local talent."There are things in life that matter, things in the past that can't be denied. Winnie Cooper is part of me, and I am part of her. And for as long as I live, I will never ever let her go." - The Wonder Years. I couldn't help myself but to quote The Wonder Years. This band is a great group of people who have a heavier rock influence but with twangy southern feel. Maybe it's just the lead singers awesome voice, or just this song. Either way they can rock out like nobody's business. The band no longer is together, but I feel it's a a more than worthy mention. I was lucky enough to see them play a few times, even once watched the lead singer Becky do a recording in a dirty dining room with a few people on one particular drunken night. The drummer is in a great band called Charles The Osprey who make great...I don't even know what to call it. Expiermental noise jazz metal? All I know is they have great guitar hooks, superb drumming and crazy time changes that is stay nice and tight. I am always amazed at bands that can do that so well. They have a new LP that just was released titled "Consider" that you can get on orange or green vinyl. I'm going with orange. I couldn't find videos for Winnie Cooper but you can find their download here.
Winnie Cooper - Pleasure Pony
Charles The Osprey - Scimitar Children And Their Rugs
As soon as I heard this band it reminded me a lot of At The Drive-In, which to me is a great thing. It's angsty, gritty garage punk. Not only is the bands name great but so is their sound. High strung vocals over very tight drumming, with some great riffs. If you dig band with some attitude or just like to feel tough HTAFM will be right up your alley. They just put out their demo for free, so you have no excuse to not check it out. They also are doing shows in the Grand Rapids area quite often so if you are down for a drink and ready to rock your face off I suggest you look them up.
Heavier Than Air Flying Machines - Abacus Abacus
I absolutely LOVE this band. I think I can safely say that as a music fan with out being biased because I know people in the band. Chance Jones has it all, clever songwriting, songs that range from laid back toe tappers to full on wild rock and roll that will shake you out of your chair, and moxie, lots of moxie. I have had the pleasure of seeing this band perform many times and I have never been bored once. Some bands don't entertain when they play live or are, what I like to call "studio only" bands. These dudes and gal in no way shape or form fit that definition. I seriously wish nothing but the best for these talented musicians. If you dig them you should go buy their latest album The Incident at Primrose and West If you want to listen to their complete discography you can stream the complete discogoraphy here. This is band that gets around a lot, and I promise you you will get your moneys worth for any cover you have to pay.
Chance Jones - Nobody's Baby
I was lucky enough to stumble upon this band by chance. Last summer I was sitting in my apartment on a particularly nice weekend and I started to hear music for outside. I live in a small downtown area filled with mostly old farmers and good upright family types. In other words my town isn't what you would call the epicenter of the local rock scene. I had no clue what was happening so being a fan of any live music I decided to go check it out. Turns out there was an event called Waterfest. Something dealing with clean drinking water, and purification. I watched a band or two who were alright but I wasn't impressed much. I decided to go back home. 10 minutes later I started hearing what sounded like jazzy experimental rock. It was pretty much all instrumental but still very cool. I immediately went back outside and watched this amazing band play through their set. There was no roster of bands posted that I could see so when I got home I looked up the roster and found out that it was a band called Paucity. A friend of mine had talked about them a lot but I never had heard them before. I felt really bad for the band because there were maybe 8 people watching them, most were people passing by. I also felt special because it wasn't a crowd of people and it was more intimate. What made it better is that I was digging the band. I am now a fan and I love listening to their music when I am doing things that require thinking. It's great background music for doing things in general. You can also stream their music on their website for free.
Paucity - Funnel Web
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