Grammy nominations are less than two hours away! Yeah sure they are a complete sham and mean next to nothing in the world of good old rock 'n roll... but this year Alison Mosshart and the Dead Weather have a shot at scoring a few nods and maybe even a win! I can picture it now... a Mosshart/Taylor Swift duet about guns, whiskey, and turning 16 in front of millions of viewers on network TV.
It's the first time in recent memory I am actually excited for the pomp and circumstance that has become American "music" and with the eligibility period being shrunk down to 11 months instead of a full year to adjust for a new system, pickings could be extra-surprising... or U2 could just take every category...
Stay tuned for my predictions in select categories following the nominations, as well as my Album Pick of the Week review. This week is Dan Auerbach's "Keep It Hid." A slow-fast-fast-slow blues-rock masterpiece solo project that has been on repeat in my headphones since the minute I laid my ears on it.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Barbara's Best (#2)
Welcome to week number dos! I hope you all have been playing last week's tracks on repeat throughout your Thanksgiving holiday. I've got some kick-ass tunes coming up for the new week ahead.
... now onto the magic:
Sunday: (Live track of the week) Snap out your tryptophan induced coma and get focused for the new week ahead with The White Stripe's Death Letter live at Blackpool Lights. Marvel at Jack's unbelievable guitar riffs and Meg's solid backing beat as Jack's passion infused voice screeches Son House's 1960's original blues classic and in this special version even includes a verse from what Jack White calls his "favorite song of all time" - Son House's "Grinning in Your Face."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t1_ETuWIbE
Monday: Get dancing as soon as your alarm jolts you back to grim reality on Monday morning with Two Door Cinema Club's I Can Talk. This brand new band's catchy pop rock tune will have you smiling all day long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJDCMth8poM
Tuesday: Grab your leather jacket and rock it out hard with Dan Auerbach's Heartbroken, In Disrepair. One half of the Black Keys goes solo for an outstanding heavy rock sound with some awesome background vocals that will inspire you to pick up that air guitar that's been getting dusty in the garage with the recent unavoidable bombardment of Lady Gaga in your ears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc5rxu9zCKY
Thursday: Inch ever so closing the weekend with Best Coast's When I'm With You. This track sounds like Courtney Love singing over Sonic Youth's guitar riffs with the simplicity of a female Ramones attitude... in a good way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxByjsWPY8E
Friday: Maybe you've already heard this one, but give it another listen as you start your weekend off right with The XX's reworking of Florence and the Machine's You've Got the Love. This remix pairs vocals from both bands with vibraphones, harps, and a mean bass beat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui5TGMWNEPo
Saturday: Peaches is back and this time she's all about teaching you how to have a great sounding Saturday night with Peaches' I Feel Cream. This dance anthem title track off the album released earlier this year proves that Peaches' listeners still have some more learning to do...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l97LrNkSAHE
Bonus track of the week: While neither a new track nor a bona fide classic (yet) The Kings of Leon's Red Morning Light is magic. Caleb Followill's scream at 1:25 and the guitar solo that follows will send shivers up your spine and fireworks to your ears. For anyone who wishes the Kings would stop playing at Madison Square Garden and return to their broken bottle fighting, southern rocking first two albums, this track is it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrDh4GOTb8s
DISCLAIMER: Again, I have chosen the above songs for the MUSIC and NOT the accompanying videos (in fact I listen without watching) so please do not judge the track based on the visual aspect of the clip.
Until next week's musical masterpieces of magic (but check the blog before then)...
xx bb
... now onto the magic:
Sunday: (Live track of the week) Snap out your tryptophan induced coma and get focused for the new week ahead with The White Stripe's Death Letter live at Blackpool Lights. Marvel at Jack's unbelievable guitar riffs and Meg's solid backing beat as Jack's passion infused voice screeches Son House's 1960's original blues classic and in this special version even includes a verse from what Jack White calls his "favorite song of all time" - Son House's "Grinning in Your Face."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t1_ETuWIbE
Monday: Get dancing as soon as your alarm jolts you back to grim reality on Monday morning with Two Door Cinema Club's I Can Talk. This brand new band's catchy pop rock tune will have you smiling all day long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJDCMth8poM
Tuesday: Grab your leather jacket and rock it out hard with Dan Auerbach's Heartbroken, In Disrepair. One half of the Black Keys goes solo for an outstanding heavy rock sound with some awesome background vocals that will inspire you to pick up that air guitar that's been getting dusty in the garage with the recent unavoidable bombardment of Lady Gaga in your ears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc5rxu9zCKY
Wednesday: (Classic Track of the Week) Simplify your over-complicated Wednesday with Jonathan Richman and the Modern Modern Lover's Roadrunner from 1976. This three cord Velvet Underground sound alike has the origins of punk mixed with Richman's tale of his true love - driving with the radio on (even if it's just to the Stop & Shop).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDJShMk-r88
Thursday: Inch ever so closing the weekend with Best Coast's When I'm With You. This track sounds like Courtney Love singing over Sonic Youth's guitar riffs with the simplicity of a female Ramones attitude... in a good way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxByjsWPY8E
Friday: Maybe you've already heard this one, but give it another listen as you start your weekend off right with The XX's reworking of Florence and the Machine's You've Got the Love. This remix pairs vocals from both bands with vibraphones, harps, and a mean bass beat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui5TGMWNEPo
Saturday: Peaches is back and this time she's all about teaching you how to have a great sounding Saturday night with Peaches' I Feel Cream. This dance anthem title track off the album released earlier this year proves that Peaches' listeners still have some more learning to do...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l97LrNkSAHE
Bonus track of the week: While neither a new track nor a bona fide classic (yet) The Kings of Leon's Red Morning Light is magic. Caleb Followill's scream at 1:25 and the guitar solo that follows will send shivers up your spine and fireworks to your ears. For anyone who wishes the Kings would stop playing at Madison Square Garden and return to their broken bottle fighting, southern rocking first two albums, this track is it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrDh4GOTb8s
DISCLAIMER: Again, I have chosen the above songs for the MUSIC and NOT the accompanying videos (in fact I listen without watching) so please do not judge the track based on the visual aspect of the clip.
Until next week's musical masterpieces of magic (but check the blog before then)...
xx bb
Barbara's Best (#1)
Welcome to my weekly posts of daily music selections! This weekly post will offer up some of the best new, old, and live tracks that will I think will make your week just a little bit more enjoyable... now onto the magic:
Sunday: Close out your weekend with Camera Obscura's The Sweetest Thing. This Scottish band's (named after Nico's 1985 album) indie pop croon will have you holding that someone special close on a dark Sunday evening under a blanket with a cup of hot tea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhSanTYPm2g
Monday: Start your work week off right (and loudly) with Fenech Soler's Lies. This kick-ass electronic dance anthem will have you dancing at your computer by 10am and distract you from your boss's non-sensical shit demands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0takBpMWtM
Tuesday: Pick your head up off your keyboard to rock out to Atlas Sound's Walkabout. The lead singer from Deerhunter veers off on his own course to create a surreal sound that is like MGMT plus a 60's pop ballad that will leave you with chills up your spine and smiles in your ears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QHbOg-Sd1M
Wednesday: Throw some magic into your hump day with The Magic Wands' Black Magic. This drum machine infused handclapping, guitar riffing masterpiece created by a ray-ban wearing duo will leave you singing and dancing on your subway ride home from work and keep you grooving on your next subway ride out to party the work week away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwwS1TQVmY8
Thursday: Watch out for those New York City womanizers at Thirsty Thursday with The Big Pink's Doninos. The band billed as Britain's next big thing by the NME rocks the beat with this electo-rock tale of conquest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGnNlQ-KNv4
Friday: (Live Track of the Week) Switch gears from the work week to the party weekend with The Dead Weather's I Can't Hear You. Alison and Jack seethe sexual tension as they brawl on stage and her voice challenges his guitar in a battle of rage, grunge and whiskey. (And of course I had to do a track with Mosshart tearing it up...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcfIiwNx5c8
Saturday: (Classic Track of the Week) Walk the streets with nostalgia of the old drugs, theft, and broken dreams that used to rule NYC with The Velvet Underground's (and Nico) Run Run Run. This tale of 1967 Manhattan characters complete with guitar riffs decades ahead of the time is an integral part of one of the best albums ever produced.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bp-ihtgzdE
DISCLAIMER: I have chosen the above songs for the MUSIC and NOT the accompanying videos (in fact I listen without watching) so please do not judge the track based on the visual aspect of the clip.... well except maybe Friday's clip... Until next week's musical masterpieces of magic...
xx bb
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