Music … whatever: The Black Keys

by Amy Breen

The Black Keys are on the way up. Six albums, two EPs, and nearly ten years later, the blues-rock due from Ohio are starting to get a lot of attention in a lot of different places.

Maybe it’s because their newest album Brothers, is fricken fantastic. I haven’t been able to stop listening to it!

A few years ago Grant downloaded a couple of their songs for a mix CD to give me, but I was apparently at a point in my life where I didn’t want to bother with albums. Too bad, because I may have been spouting about their greatness before the curve!

The Black Keys sound is reminiscent of 60s and 70s rock, with a modern twist. Singer Dan Auerbach’s voice is often really soulful, and they have a definite groove happening at times.

My current favourite song is “Tighten Up.” You may recognize it from the car commerical where the guy drives through puddles. It really seems to be everywhere these days, including the local rock radio station. You definitely know it’s hit the mainstream when good ol’ KX96 starts playing it.

The Black Keys - Tighten Up

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Music Mondays: OK Go

by Amy Breen

The kings of viral videos, OK Go, have done it again. And with dogs! Love it.

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Music Mondays: Arcade Fire

by Amy Breen

This may sound like blasphemy to many a music-lover, but I’ve never really like the Arcade Fire.

Didn’t see what the big deal was.

Now, maybe I was just rejecting all of the praise heaped on them for their first album Funeral. Everyone and their dog loved that album — I enjoyed a few songs! — but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why they were so. Big. They’re just so hip and indie, with their accordions and whatnot.

They’re just so.

With their second album, Neon Bible, the praise continued, and I continued to go “meh.” Their song “Keep the Car Running” was good, but I also thought it was Bruce Springsteen at first, so that explains something …

Which is why I am so surprised to be in love with a song from their third album The Suburbs. It feels so strange to me, but I really enjoy the title track from that album. And from what I’ve heard, it’s not too terribly different from previous songs, so it’s very odd that I like it so much.

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

But I really do love it. Who knows, maybe I just need to give them more of a chance, and I’ll just become an Arcade Fire fan girl like everyone else in the world.

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Music Mondays: Dr. Dog

by Amy Breen

I had never heard of Dr. Dog until they covered Architecture in Helsinki (a band I had heard of) and their song “Heart it Races.”

It was practically love at first listen. They took what I consider to be a pretty mediocre (and kind of odd and unpleasant) song and turned it into pop gold.

Dr. Dog - Heart it Races

Isn’t that the perfect pop song? Maybe it’s so perfect because their music is so heavily influenced by pop music of the 60s, full of harmonies and pretty lo-fi sounds. Check out more of their music on myspace.

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Music Mondays: The Bird and the Bee

by Amy Breen

The Bird and the Bee are a synth happy duo from Los Angeles consisting of singer Inara George and instrumentalist/producer Greg Kurstin. Their music is a wonderful mixture of 80s synth, and 60s jazz standards, which somehow manages to sound incredibly modern.

They have three albums under their belt so far, with their latest being, get this, an album of Hall and Oates covers. It’s called “Interpreting the Masters, Volume 1″ which I can only take mean they’ll be doing more.

I love this band.

And I love their song “Heard it on the Radio,” one of their only original songs on the Hall and Oates album. It is the perfect summer song, all about finding love in the hot months, and losing it by September. Plus, it’s a song about a song.

Meta.

Have a listen. I can’t help but want to get up and dance around when I hear it.

The Bird and the Bee - Heard it on the Radio

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Music Mondays: Florence + the Machine

by Amy Breen

I’m rather surprised I’ve never blogged about Florence + the Machine before. Grant introduced me to the English indie darling at least a year ago with the brilliantly feisty song “Girl with One Eye” from her album Lungs.

Florence is an absolute force to be reckoned with. She is fierce and bold in her style and musically fantastic. Stylistically, I guess she could be compared to Lady Gaga, but really she is just so. Much. Better.

Her song “Dog Days Are Over” is a catchy, fun, clap-your-hands sort of song, and totally showcases her incredible pipes. For more hand clappy, foot stompy songs, go to the fantastic blog I Am Fuel, You Are Friends for a mixtape of epic proportions.

But, in the meantime, here’s Florence.

Florence + the Machine on Myspace.

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(Late) Music Mondays: Janelle Monáe

by Amy Breen

The other day I was reading a post on Jezebel about the lack of dancing in music videos. It was bemoaning how most female artists seem to just spend their time in their videos posing, and don’t have much to offer in the way of dancing.

But at the end, they suggested there might be someone out there who breaks the mold. And her name is Janelle Monáe.

To give you an idea of Monáe’s style, her latest album, The ArchAndroid, is a concept album with influences such as Alfred Hithcock, Philip K. Dyck, and the classic film Metropolis.

Very cool.

Here’s her video for the song “Tightrope” that Jezebel referenced in their post. I’m kind of in love with this girl.

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Music Mondays: Jon and Roy

by Amy Breen

Jon and Roy are a folk outfit out of Victoria, and after being together for several years and releasing four albums, the band is receiving a lot of national attention here in Canada, getting frequent play on CBC Radio 2.

Weaved into the traditional folk sound of acoustic guitars and fiddles, Jon and Roy are also part reggae, creating a more worldly style. Personally, I’m more of a fan of their straight folk songs, like this gem “Boon ‘Elm” off of their latest album Homes.

Jon and Roy - Boon ‘Elm

I just love the toe-tapping, hand-clapping style of this song. When the fiddle comes in, I just melt.

After checking out more of their music on Myspace, I was happy to see that they are going to be at this year’s Winnipeg Folk Fest! I can’t decide what I love more, discovering new bands and then being able to see them at the festival, or discovering them at the festival itself. With Jon and Roy, I’d have to say it’s a discovery I’m glad I made now.

(Image via)

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Music Mondays: Josh Ritter

by Grant Hamilton

I took the above photo at last year’s Winnipeg Folk Fest, where I was lucky enough to see Josh Ritter perform several times. Grant and I sort of followed him around, actually, catching all of his workshops, as well as his stellar main stage show.

Ritter is full of youthful energy, bouncing around stage and singing his songs with a sly little smile on his face. But he also has an air of world-weary maturity about him, in his style (suits! all the time!) and in his amazingly poetic lyrics.

His latest album is called So Runs the World Away, and I’ve been enamoured with his song “The Curse.”

Josh Ritter - The Curse

It’s a beautiful, sad song, and reminds me of the music played on a merry-go-round; Grant pointed out that it sounds like a waltz. I find it so different than a lot of his other music, which is often anchored by his amazing guitar playing, and I’ve listened to it several times, falling in love with his music all the more.

Josh Ritter on Myspace.

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Music Mondays: Laura Marling

by Amy Breen

Laura Marling is a beautiful folk singer from England. I became familiar with Marling after she released her first album Alas I Cannot Swim in 2008. I was instantly hooked to her poetic lyrics and plaintive singing style, the songs often just her accompanied by her guitar.

Marling’s second album, I Speak Because I Can was just released this past March, and while it retains the lyrical beauty of her first recordings, Marling sounds much more mature, her voice richer, and the music fleshed out. I like “Rambling Man” because it sounds very old-folk, in the instrumentation, her singing style, and harmonies, but because it also manages to sound modern.

Laura Marling - Rambling Man

Laura Marling on Myspace.

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Music Mondays: Seabear

by Amy Breen

Icelandic band Seabear have been making music since 2000. Originally a solo project of singer Sindri Már Sigfússon, there are now seven members of the band. The layered sound of the group reflects the number of players involved and unlike fellow Icelandic band Sigur Rós, they sing in English.

Seabear had self-released two albums until they were signed to Morr Music. In 2007 their first full-length album came out, called The Ghost That Carried Us Away and just this past March they released their second album We Built the Fire.

Grant actually introduced me to Seabear a couple of years ago with their songs “I Sing, I Swim” and “Seashell” from their first album; I’ve been a fan of their pretty, layered sound ever since. Seabear’s Myspace labels them as indie/experimental/folk, which I think suits them pretty well. There is a lot of instrumentation in their music, and the hushed vocals of Sigfússon contrast nicely with their faster tracks, and complement their softer ones.

I really love “Seashell” for its folk sound, and especially the entrance of the fiddle around 1:25. It also marks the point where they shift the time signature just a bit, which I love.

Seabear - Seashell

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Music Mondays: The Middle East

by Amy Breen

Despite what their name implies, The Middle East is actually a band from Townsville, Australia. So far, they have only recorded an EP, The Recordings of the Middle East, which they independently released in 2008, and which was re-released on Spunk Records last year.

I’m eager to hear a full album, because there is so much promise in the EP. Their sound is moody but upbeat, soft and at times ethereal. It’s kind of folky, rainy-day music, and the guitar style reminds me of Kings of Convenience.

I enjoy the song “Blood” which starts slowly but with a touch of playfulness, and builds to a joyful summit complete with a xylophone and an energetic group sing-along.

The Middle East - Blood

The band is extensively touring the States, occasionally cropping up in Canada. To see tour dates, check out their myspace.

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Music Mondays: Corinne Bailey Rae

by Amy Breen

Corinne Bailey Rae absolutely exploded onto the music scene in 2006 with “Like a Star” from her debut album. It was a huge hit in both the UK and the States, and the Leeds native instantly became a critical darling for her sweet voice and soulful music.

Rae drew accolades and racked up an impressive amount of awards, but unfortunately her musical career was put on hold after the sudden death of her husband, Jason Rae. After more than two years absent, she has just released her second album this past January called The Sea. The album is a mix of acoustic-driven songs and funky, orchestral tracks.

In particular, I really enjoy her song “Paris Nights/New York Mornings,” an ode to those nights you spend dancing and falling in love, completely carefree. It has such a great beat, and makes me want to get out of my seat and dance, but is also really dreamy and wistful. A great song from Rae’s sophomore effort.

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Music Mondays: Annuals

by Amy Breen

It is only mid April, and already the sun is shining brightly, the leaves are budding on the trees outside my window, and I can go on extended bike rides without a jacket. Hell, I can just go outside without a jacket. Summer, at least for now, has arrived.

I wanted, therefore, to find a summer song to post for this week’s Music Monday.

North Carolina band Annuals, as it turns out, has just the song. I fell in love with the band a few years after hearing their song “Brother.” It’s a song bursting with energy, with layer upon layer of instruments and vocals, building from a gentle opening to an absolute explosion of sound.

Oh heck, just listen to it.

Annuals - Brother

So I was excited to see that Annuals have a new EP coming out, called Sweet Sister. Their song “Loxtep” has the layered sound of “Brother”; it opens with flamenco-type percussion, and slowly gains electronic beats, a fuzzy guitar riff, and beautiful melodies. Unlike “Brother” though, it’s a much lighter song overall. It’s fun and catchy, and feels like the perfect summer song.

Annuals - Loxtep

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Music Mondays: Band of Horses

by Amy Breen

Band of Horses have consistently blown me away since the release of their first major label album Everything All the Time in 2006. The album is a beautiful mix of indie pop and rock, kind of atmospheric, anchored by the lead singer Ben Bridwell. His voice is really interesting, and he can really belt it out.

With their second album Cease to Begin, their atmospheric sound was a little more flushed out and included some country overtones. Now the Seattle band is releasing their third album, called Infinite Arms. They’ve released a video for their first single, “Compliments.”

It’s a really catchy song and a bit harder than some of their previous stuff. I’m eager to hear the rest of the album.

And because I’m a big jerk and I forgot Music Mondays last week, here’s another Band of Horses song, one of my favourites from their second album, a pretty but melancholic love song.

Band of Horses - No One’s Gonna Love You

Check out Band of Horses on Myspace.

(Image from flickr user Julio Enriquez)

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