I'm SOULed!

The first time I heard James Carr belt out this soul scorcher I could not believe what I has hearing. In my opinion it just may be one of my favorite country-soul songs ever. Although not as popular as his fellow soul singers like Otis Redding and Percy Sledge, Mr. Carr is considered one of the best emotional delivery men by hardcore soul junkies. Unfortunately popularity wasn't as easily attained for James in part to his sever bipolar disorder which affected his touring and recording. This song, "You Got My Mind Messed Up", was released on GoldWax in 1966 and was his first big hit. Not his most famous, which is "The Dark End Of The Street", but I hope you'd agree that it's a top notch soul song.
James Carr - You've Got My Mind Messed Up

I tried to find some information about Johnny Cool And The Counts but my search came up null and void. I do know that it was released on the Custom Label but other than that I got nothing. I happened to come across Johnny Cool And The Counts from a now sadly defunct soul music blog. This song is something that is a bit different from other soul songs, it's a lot more up tempo hence the word bounce in the songs title. I love the quickness of this song and the drums are incredible. It's a fun listen for sure. I'll post the other equally amazing song I have by Johnny Cool And The Counts in another post. For now just enjoy this one.
Johnny Cool And The Counts - Love Bounce


Swamp Dogg (Jerry Williams, Jr.) is one of the most eccentric characters in the Soul/R&B realm. He says whats on his mind and doesn't care. He started out as a producer, engineer, and occasional songwriter with Atlantic in the '60s. He cut a few songs under the name Little Jerry Williams before transforming into the Great Swamp Dogg. He released his first album under his new moniker called Total Destruction to Your Mind which featured him in his underwear on the album cover. He also has another cover that was voted worst album cover for Rat On! Needless to say that the Dogg is eccentric. I read an interview where he explained that he changed to Swamp Dogg was because "Whatever I wanted to sing about I could do it as a dog since you expect a dog to do just about anything... and you're forgiven afterwards (laughs)." Don't let all the eccentricities fool you though, Swamp Dogg delivers great songs. Sometimes it's political, sometimes it's racial, sometimes it's about a war veteran hooked on drugs.
Swamp Dogg - Sam Stone

Fun Facts about this song. It was a song in the movie Grindhouse Presents: Death Proof directed by Quinten Tarantino. It's a revised cover The Shirelles "Baby It's You. The Smith didn't really have many singles and were mostly a cover band doing rock and R&B songs in the late 60's. The soulful female singer is Gayle McCormick, who had some little solo hits in 1971 after the Break up of the band. Baby It's you was a Burt Bacharach composed song, what didn't that man do? This song has been covered by The Beatles as well. Enjoy!
Smith - Baby It's You

So close to being trashed but we were saved and suggested.

Most of the time if I hear a song I don't like I will delete right off the bat. I always feel kind of bad when I do that because that one song could be the type that grows on you with time. Such as the case with Too Much Time by John Vanderslice. When I first introduced this song to my earholes I listened to it about twice and I decided it wasn't interesting. It was sort of depressing and I really didn't like the singers voice. So it went in the round file with the rest of the duds. A few days went by and one day while I was doing dishes the chorus popped into my head and I somehow remembered the words to most of the song. I instantly decided to give it another chance and I am glad I did. It is quickly becoming a major contender in my sad songs playlist. It's nothing special musically or lyrically. To be honest I don't know why I like it so much, but I do.
John Vanderslice - Too Much Time

Whenever I hear the name Florence And The Machine I think about Flo the redhead spokesperson in the Progressive Insurance commercials. Then when I think of the title "Cosmic Love" I instantly think of the 60's. Which seems to work nice because Florence Mary Leontine Welch has a voice that invokes the women singers like Janis Joplin and Grace Slick. I have been really digging this tune lately. It wasn't one that I thought I would be keeping around very long either but I love the drums and you can't deny that powerful voice. You can tell she has soul and it's poring out of every inch or her. If you like this tune I suggest checking out a few tracks from Bat For Lashes as well, I'm not a huge fan, but I know a lot of reliable music blogs are.
Florence And The Machine - Cosmic Love

To round up this post I have one suggested band and one suggested track.
The suggested band is Matt & Kim. It was suggested to me by a good friend who has excellent taste in music. The track "Daylight" is a groovy little number that has a warm bouncy fun feel. In most other songs there are male female vocals but it's mainly Matt in this one. I chose this one in particular because it's in a Bacardi Mojito commercial. Now you can impress all your friends when the commercial comes on and look like a music dork too! YAY!


Matt & Kim - Daylight

Last but not least is a track by the Melvins that my "BOY" told me about (he told me to holla' at yo boy! So I am!) Actually the friend I am referring to gave me the name for this blog. Anyway he usually doesn't listen to this kind of music so I thought if he likes it I'll give it a try. The song is pretty strange and yet awesome. The first listen I instantly took note of how cool the drums are in the beginning. Then I got the unexpected surprise in the middle of the song, I won't say what it is but it's great. I found some other Melvins songs but unfortunately none of the others sounded remotely listenable to me.
The Melvins - Skin Horse

Free is the best

The past few day I have come across a bunch of free albums that were released online. Al of these albums should be available for you to download as well. I will post the link where you can download the albums after my two cents and a few tracks. Enjoy!

I am going to start off with my favorite underground rap group of all time Atmosphere. Slug and Ant have put out an album full of party time anthems, brilliantly clever and witty rhymes, and beats that will keep the guys heads noddin' and the girls asses shaking. If you never heard Atmosphere there is no better time than with this album to introduce yourself. If you already know about the Minneapolis "Minisnowta" based hip-hopers than you'll love this. I was sort of disappointed with When Life Hands You Lemons..., it was alright but the beats weren't as great as say Lucy Ford and it seemed to be a lot of emo and little emcee. I like to think that this album would be the punch in the face if you called Atmosphere an emo rap group. Consider me K.O.'d in the best way possible.
Atmosphere - The Things That Hate Us
Atmosphere - You Played Yourself

The next free album might not suit everybody's tastes but it's at least worth listening to a song or two just for coolness and nostalgic purposes. The album is called Da Chip! : The Music Of Daft Punk Revisited On Vintage Game Systems. Yes you read that right, Daft Punk music done in 8bit. Remember NES music, well this is exactly like it. Only better. There are some variations as far as quality go, but it's a fun listen. Especially if you like Daft Punk and know a few of their songs. It would make a great little something to listen to while doing computer related things or if you ever get tired of other video game music. Even if you hate Daft Punk and video games I would still say give a track a listen because it's unique.
Daft Punk (Da Chip!) - One More Time
Daft Punk (Da Chip!) - Veridis Quo (No Longer Available)

The other night I realized that there is one genre that I have been leaving out of this blog which is soul music. I am a huge fan of soul music. In fact the other night I searched for new soul music for about 5 hours. I found some good stuff which will be coming soon, but I came across this James Brown Regrooved album that I thought was decent. Basically it's remixes of The Godfather Of Soul. Some of the songs I think are brilliant but there are a few duds that don't keep it true and therefore loose the flavor that was Mr. Brown. Despite the few not so good tracks, thats what the next button was made for, the whole album is a fun and funky ride. so "Get on it!"
James Brown - Superbad (Regrooved by The Sly Players)
James Brown - It's A Man's Man's Man's World (Regrooved by Parker)

Last but not least is an album that from my best guess is a collaborative effort lead by Sam Barsh who has his own band (Sam Barsh Band). He is a well know modern jazz musician and has toured around the world and worked with quite a few well known artists such as Cassandra Wilson, Boyz II Men, Bobby McFerrin, The Brand New Heavies and many others. To be honest I really don't know that much about him and never heard of him until I started writing this. What I can tell you though is that the album Vosotros Presents: The Years, is a musical journey that touches on different time periods. It's got everything from blues, to soul and 80's to hip hop. It's been slowly growing on me the more I listen to it and Amazon rated it as one of the best albums of 2009 that you should know about but probably don't. Hey, download it and give it a spin, it's not like your paying for it.
Vosotros Presents: The Years - Lose My Number (feat. Jesse Palter) (No Longer Available)
Vosotros Presents: The Years - Heartbreaker (feat. John Robinson & Tiffany Paige) (No Longer Available)

Thiiis is the random.

I'm feeling rather random today and I decided to put my iTunes on shuffle and post the first few songs it gave me.

When I get a batch of new music that I need to listen to I usually just throw 20 so songs on a playlist, Listen ti it a few times, and from there ween out the ones I don't like. However when there are ones I don't like I put them into a different playlist I call "Last Plea A.K.A. Please Don't Put Me Down." I do this because sometime you have those songs that grow on you. This is one of them. I really didn't dig Fanfarlo that much. Until one day I was just messing around, doodling in a notebook and this song came on and it made me think of fireworks. Now ever time I hear this song I close my eyes and picture the most awesome fireworks display set to this music.
Fanfarlo - The Walls Are Coming Down(No Longer Available)

Bearbot is not a cute and cuddly metallic automated new toy for your child. It's the next to grab the torch in the party mashup mixtape genre. Like other master masher Girl Talk, Bearbot rocks the party with genius mixes that will keep you dancing until the break of dawn. Crank up the speakers, fill your house with friends and p-a-r-t y? Because you have to.
BearBot - Stunntin' Like My Only Swerving(Lil' Wayne Vs. El Ten Eleven)

Everything about this song is great. In Fact Everything about My Morning Jacket is great. It's genuine and deep and sort of a tear jerker. It sounds like it's recorded in a bathroom or as I like to picture it in a barn. For sure someplace with great acoustics. It's definitely in my all time top 10 songs. I love to follow this song with Jeff Buckleys Hallelujah.
My Morning Jacket - I Will Be There When You Die

Hahahah, I can't believe this one is in my collection. It's total country bumpkin music from the 80's and I LOVE it. I was raised on country music and I don't think I will ever stop liking it no matter how badly I want to. Besides both Conway and Loretta effin' rule compared to country stars nowadays. Listen to that fiddle, makes me want to kick off my converse and and start a jug band.
Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn - Lousiana Woman, Mississippi Man

My friend once described Low to me as slowcore. Which means slow tempos and minimalist arrangements which describes them to a tee. The Duluth, Minnesota band have cranked out tons of albums and have dreamy chilling male/female vocals. It's one of my favorite groups to listen to while reading or falling asleep.
Low - Sunflower

I want Feist to be my girlfriend. Actually I want any girl who can play an instrument and write songs to be my girlfriend. It'd be so sexy. I had a dream once where I did have a significant other who played acoustic guitar and would ask me what I though of her songs. She'd play sweet little tunes like this one while we drank beers on the back porch. It was great.
Feist - Mushaboom(Live at El Mocambo CBC Studio Session) (No Longer Avaliable, But This Is)

Yeah, get it on!

Sex, sex and more sex. Get to listening and then go get you some!

This is funky little insturmental, well except for the moans, that will probably make you feel a little dirty. But sometimes dirty is good.
Chakachas - Jungle Fever(No Longer Available)

As You can probably guess from the title this one is pretty dirty as well. This one is for the ladies though.
Jean Knight - Do Me

I LOVE this song. It's soulful and happy and oh so popular.
King Floyd - Groove Me Baby

If your not down with the soul or funk, how about some pop punk?
Pepper - Dirty Hot Sex

Ahh, Peaches. So hardcore.
Peaches - Rock The Shocker

And one for the meaningless times.
Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When Your Naked

I'm not going to post anymore songs but here are some other really great songs I would suggest checking out. Some of these may be sort of obvious but they are a few of my favorites.

Song from Dirty Dancing. It's the record Swayze puts on the first time he and Jennifer Grey make love. Very sexy, straight from the heart, and pure emotion. Otis is the man.
Otis Redding - These Arms Of Mine

I always will connect this song to Cruel Intentions no matter what but I love this song. It's got a pretty piano and some beautiful lyrics.
The Counting Crows - Color Blind

This song was a staple song for me back in the day when I would be pining for a girl I liked. It's how you don't want the moment to end and the person to leave and it has a great last line that goes "I'm convinced that your from Mars"
The Promise Ring - Picture Postcard

A rap love song that focus on conversation and getting to know one another rather than hittin' skins.
Dead Prez - Mind Sex

This song is what Sir Paul would describe as a silly love song. It's playful as are most Of Montreal songs and the title pretty much sums up the song quite nicely.
Of Montreal - Everything Disappears When You Come Around

Then Of course the obvious one.
Al Green - Here I Am Baby

One Day I went To Ohio. It was So Insane I had to take The First Train Home

I listen to a great morning show out of Philadelphia called The Preston And Steve Show. This isn't your typical lame local morning show either. The first time I listened they were talking about how one of the DJ's didn't have toilet paper in the stall at work that morning so he had to go to the next stall and because it was so early he didn't worry about anyone coming in so he didn't really pull up his pants. Well one of the co-hosts walked in on him. Needless to say the show is hilarious and I have been hooked ever since. Besides being funny they have great celebrity interviews and have some killer bands every now and then. I listened to a show this morning and I became a fan of Matisyahu because of the show. I knew who he was before and heard a few of his songs a long time ago but never really checked him out. If you don't know much about him he's an American Hasidic Jewish reggae musician. His music is very uplifting and heartfelt. Yeah, he talks a lot about religion, which I don't mind but I know a lot of people get turned off by that. However I would say give it listen, the music is awesome, the guy can rap/beatbox, and has a sweet beard. He has a new album coming out August 25 called Light. This is the first single, One Day, from the album played live in studio on WMMR's The Preston And Steve Show.
Matisyahu - One Day (Live On WMMR's The Preston And Steve Show) (No Longer Available, But This Is)

The Low Anthem are a three piece band from Rhode Island that know how to kick out some blues influenced folksy down home jams. They just released a CD called Oh My God, Charlie Darwin which is such a clever title. The faster songs are rough stomps with vocals that are raw and remind me of a Tom Waits song and the slower songs are beautiful porch sitting back roads driving songs. The first song "To Ohio" is low key and has lyrics like a CSNY song. "The Horizon Is A Beltway" is a song that will have you tapping your toes with it's prominent drum beat and belting (pardon the pun) out the sing along chorus.
The Low Anthem - To Ohio
The Low Anthem - The Horizon Is A Beltway

Discovery is a side project for Vampire Weekend keyboardist and producer Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot lead singer Wes Miles. The band is gaining acclaim from music critics all over because of it's synth driven electro-pop. This song is just So Insane as the titles says. It jumps from fast to slow and back again, but what makes it shine is the great sunshiny singing and melodies reminiscent of Passion Pit, and you can never have too much of that. Discovery also have a great cover of I Want You Back by Jackson 5. To check out more about them click here.
Discovery - So Insane

I love songs about going home. They make great road trip songs. I once went to a music festival many years ago where we took a school bus from Michigan to Kentucky straight with few stops. It was not a fun trip, the fest was great but the transportation to and from sucked. It was 90+ degrees and loud. Have you ever tried to sleep on a school bus? It doesn't really work. Anyway I wish I had this new single from Imogen Heap back then. It would have helped a lot. The track First Train Home is the first single from the new album Ellipse which is her third studio album and will be released on August 24th/25th. Hey, thats the same time Matisyahus album drops. Looks like thats going to be a pretty damn good week for new music. The other track I have for you is a remix of my favorite Imogen Heap song, Hide And Seek.
Imogen Heap - First Train Home
Imogen Heap - Hide And Seek (Enigma Remix)

In my effort to make things more accessible, I have decided that I am going to try and post links to the bands websites that I post about. That way if you like them you can find out information about them, upcoming shows and where to buy their albums. I don't think I'll post links for iTunes or Amazon but you can always use those great services too.

Throwin the covers all night...

The way I see it cover songs can go one of two ways. Either they outshine the original or fail miserably. To be honest I don't think I ever heard a cover of a song that I thought was alright. I guess I'm a harsh critic on the subject. I love cover songs and figured I would share a few of my favorites.

We'll start off with one I recently discovered. The song is by The Hold Steady who are my second favorite band. Bonus! It's also a cover of a Bruce Springsteen song, who I also hold quite high up on the cool meter. Double Bonus! To top it all off Atlantic City is from my favorite Bruce album Nebraska. Triple Bonus! I couldn't think of a more perfect band to cover the boss either.
The Hold Steady - Atlantic City (Bruce Springsteen Cover)

I have had this song for sooo long and I never tire of hearing it. I first heard this song on a Fat Wreck Chords compilation called Survival Of The Fattest, which is filled with some great punk rock songs. Sadly I lost the CD a long time ago but I had managed to keep this track on an old mix I made. Get ready to rock. I suggest going down a country road really fast while listening to this or while driving amongst cornfields on a highway. Reminds me of driving to Colorado.
Me First And The Gimmie Gimmies - Country Roads (John Denver Cover)

Again I am going to let out some secret that will more than likely ruin what little coolness I have. I really dig Breathe by Taylor Swift. I think she's pretty talented and she's not all fake *coughMileyCyruscough* My sister introduced me to this song and I think part of why I like it is because my nephew knows every word and it's cute when he sings it. I don't know much about Boyce Avenue but I looked them up on youtube and they do a lot of cover songs. I listened to a few others and the few I heard sort of sounded pretty much the same. Slowed down and sappy songs that woo the girls, but I might go back and check them out a little more before I write them off. However this cover is great and I feel a little more macho listening to this version.
Boyce Avenue - Breathe(Taylor Swift Cover)

Since my guilty pleasures are revealing themselves here is another song I always liked and I have no idea why. I think I really like how the song is calm during the verse and then explodes into the chorus. Ted Leo is a great songwriter and his band Ted Leo And The Pharmacists are a indie sensation. In fact I will post an original song by them in my next post. I actually had to record this off of youtube which was sort of a pain in the ass. My internet sort of sucks and youtube stopped a few times to buffer so I had to edit out the blank spots. Totally worth it though.
Ted Leo - Since You've Been Gone/Maps(Kelly Clarkston/Yeah Yeah Yeahs Cover)

When I was little my parents loved country music and I always loved the voice of Dolly Parton. Plus she's a babe, or at least was, I haven't seen her recently. And no I'm not saying that just because she has huge boobs. This cover is very cool, very beautiful. It has a banjo and choir!
Dolly Parton - Stairway To Heaven(Led Zeppelin Cover)

Wha wha what! A rap cover with strings! This is a MUST listen and MUST have for any good cover collection.
Dan Black - HYPNTZ (Notorious B.I.G. Cover)

I can't say that this cover of The Weight is better than the original because that would be a total lie, but it is just as good as the original. It's less country and more soul. A really interesting take on an already great song. Plus two heavy weights covering it. How can it be bad?
Duane Allman & Aretha Franklin - The Weight(The Band Cover)

Metallica Rulez!! haha! Every time I read that I always think of Otto from the Simpsons. This is a version that you could easily play for your grandma or even in the workplace. It's 100% acoustic and doesn't skip on the fancy guitar noodling.
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Orion (Metallica Cover)