Monday = Music : Top 5 of 2009

"That tiny handful of lists — okay, it's more like hundreds of overstuffed wheelbarrows full of lists — reveals something of a critical consensus around a bunch of titles that were far easier for me to admire than love. Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest, Animal Collective's Merriwether Post Pavilion and Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca had several things in common: All are wildly inventive, widely beloved, creatively made marvels, and I can't recall more than a handful of words from any of them. They're worthy of recommendation, to be sure, but they didn't feel fully relatable; call me a soppy mope, but at the end of a given year, I'm far more likely to dwell on albums and songs that exude a fair bit of earned insight, even ache."

-Stephen Thompson

5. Thao with the Get Down Stay Down- Know Better Learn Faster






(These are all from an older album, but the video is too fabulous not to post.)

4. St. Vincent - Actor





3. Bill Callahan- Sometimes I Wish We Were Eagles



2. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone





1. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

So I seem to have already posted every official Andrew Bird video from this album, so here he is with St. Vincent.

Monday = Music : Stop Motion

So I put up a link to Andrew Bird's video for Anonanimal, probably my favorite song off of Noble Beast, about month ago.



Today I saw two more great stop motion animation videos. I like this trend. Know of any others?

The Low Anthem - Charlie Darwin - Official Video from End of the Road Films on Vimeo.

Monday = Music : Is enough ever really enough?

You know you love it.

Monday = Music : AB & AC

So I know my faithful reader may be tired of so much AB, but watch him with AC and you will not be sorry.

Monday = Music : Crazy in Love

So I have long maintained that Beyonce's 'Crazy in Love' is the best dance song ever. Now, in the hands of Antony and the Johnsons, it is something else entirely. Something magnificent.

Beyoncé - New Music - More Music Videos

Monday = Music : Andrew Bird and Gothic Architecture

So I haven't put up any Andrew in a while, but I just watched this and it is beautiful! There is a whole series at Pitchfork, if you're interested.

Mondy = Music : Breakfast at Sulimays

Monday = Music : Auto-Tune the News

Monday = Music : Bill Callahan

So I saw Bill Callahan play a record store show very similar to this one last week, and he was superb! I bought the new album (and, in a gloriously awkward exchange, had him sign it), and I have spent more time listening to it than to Andrew Bird, which says a lot about how great it is. For those unfamiliar with Mr. Callahan, he used to record as Smog, and he is the very baritone backup on Joanna Newsome's "Only Skin".

Monday=Music: Bob Dylan

So I'm excited about the new Bob Dylan album, anybody else?

Monday=Music: Marching Bands

Radiohead - 15 Step (Live The 51st Annual Grammy Awards)
by wonderful-life1989

So I like this marching band trend. Radiohead played with USC at the Grammys. Andrew Bird's new video features Mucca Pazza. And who can forget the Ohio band from Dave Chappelle's block party?

Anyone know of others?

Monday = Music: A Change is Gonna Come

Monday = Music: Noble Beast

So I promise that this is the last Andrew Bird post for a while (at least until I see him in New York at the end of the month), but this weekend I listened to the NPR first listen chat with him about his new album Noble Beast, and I think that you should listen to it, too. The first few times I listened to the album, I have to admit that I didn't love it. Well, I loved the song Anonanimal, but it is the one with the most loops and swirls and sounds the most typically Andrew Bird. It is still my favorite song on the album, but I have come to love the album as a whole, instead of trying to break it down into songs. It is really just beautiful. I know that I am gushing, but I just can't seem to help myself when it comes to Andrew Bird. I'm like a thirteen year-old fangirl. Anyway, the NPR interview made me love the album even more. He had a lot of interesting things to say about what he was trying to do and why and it made me appreciate the album even more. You should listen to it. And then you should read his New York Times blog posts. And listen to the album, obviously. And see him live because that is really the only way to truely appreciate his music. Okay, thanks for indulging me. I will lay off for a little while.

Monday = Music: Top 5 of 2008

5. Attack & Release - The Black Keys
I am ashamed to say that I have not listened to this nearly as much as it deserves. It blows me away every time I put it on.

I Got Mine - The Black Keys

4. Wolves and Wishes - Dosh
Martin Dosh is breaking down my resistance to wordless music one amazing loop at a time.

If You Want To, You Have To - Dosh

3. Lie Down in the Light - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Weird, wonderful Will comes through with a really solid, pleasing album. He isn't very flashy, so I sometimes forget how plain old good he is.

Easy Does It - Bonnie Prince Billy

2. The End of All-Purpose - The Heligoats
I havne't been able to find out too much about Chris Otepka, the guy who seems to basically be The Heligoats, but I first fell in love with the song Kind/Brutal, then the whole EP.

Been a Drill - The Heligoats

1. Soldier On - Andrew Bird
My love of Andrew Bird is obvious and well documented, so just enjoy the song.

The Trees Were Mistaken - Andrew Bird

Monday=Music: Let it snow!

This video made me really excited for winter!

Monday=Music: I could do this, right?

So I've come across a few sites where people are filming musicians playing in everyday public places and I'm in love with the concept.

Concerts a Emporter



I think this site is the best of the bunch. They are done as part of a French music blog and a lot of them are filmed by Vincent Moon, who seems to be pretty cool. The ones of Andrew Bird are of course my favorites, but I've been awed by every single one I've watched. It will take some time to get through them all, but other highlights are Fleet Foxes and Tunng.

Shoot the Player


Beach House: Used to Be from shoottheplayer on Vimeo.

It was difficult not to put up their Andrew Bird as well, but I restrained myself. I'm excited about Beach House, though, because this video is gorgeous, they're from Baltimore and guitarist Alex Scally is an '04 Obie (I took his Bob Dylan exco). These are mostly shot in Sydney.

They Shoot Music Don't They



I love the way this is shot, but the quality is so much better on the actual site than on youtube, so you should watch it there. I also highly recommend I'm From Barcelona. These are all shot in Vienna.

Handheld Shows


#22.1 St.Vincent - Marry Me from Handheld Shows on Vimeo.

These are filmed in Oslo. Cool. Also check out the Black Lips. The mustachioed guy's hat reminds me of Carolyn in Peru.

Music + Words = Monesday?

So I missed this week's Monday = Music (but let's be honest, no one is reading this, so it doesn't really matter), and to make up for it this week's Wednesday = Words is music related.

Check out the Obama/hip-hop connection.

Monday = Music

Tilly & the Wall - Reckless from Team Love on Vimeo.

Since I have so much time on my hands right now, I thought I'd try this blogging thing again. I wonder if anyone will notice.

Anyway, for awhile now I've been thinking that it would be cool to be in a band as a tap dancing percussionist, so while I can't say that I love the music of Tilly and the Wall, I have to love that they are putting this super cool idea in action.