Posted on

Four for Friday… is back

It has been several weeks since I’ve done one of these. There was music overload (as if that’s possible) there at the end of December, so I’m guessing you’ve appreciated the break. But now, back to business.

Teen Daze – Let’s Groove // This is a re-working of a classic from Earth, Wind & Fire.

Sleigh Bells – Comeback Kid // Sleigh Bells is back and I believe they have an album coming out sometime soon.

Boy & Bear – Part-Time Believer // “I hope you know how lucky you are.”

Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars – Safe and Sound // Love me some Civil Wars. Taylor Swift I can tolerate. This song is somehow connected to The Hunger Games movie coming out soon.

Bouus…

The Barr Brothers – Beggar in the Morning // That these folks got left off my end of year wrap-up is inexcusable. There is such a flurry of activity in putting those collections together that I’m often not in my right mind. This is better than most of the stuff that managed to find its way on there. Here they are bringing it on Letterman.

Posted on

Man CD (2011)

Ok, so now that we have the preliminaries out of the way, the moment you have all been waiting for… Man CD.

Download the whole enchilada HERE.

You may be unfamiliar with how this works, but the short version is that several men submit one of their favorite songs to be compiled into a single CD-length playlist. These songs are our gifts to one another. Always interesting. Always revealing.

For the first time this year, we ran into the problem of having too many submissions. Therefore, I refrained from including a song so that everyone else could have their say. Truth be told, I have two CD’s worth of submissions, so it isn’t like I’m not getting my two-cents in.

As always, for the interests of keeping friendships intact, I’ll withhold my commentary on the tracks. You can probably guess what I’d have to say.

Ok, so here it is to enjoy. Or at least tolerate.

Big Wheel – The Bridge // Jamey Henderson

Mike Tompkins – PYT (MJ Cover) // Charlie Rogers

Glossary – Trouble Won’t Always Last // Jeremy Jeffery

Gogol Bordello – Immigraniada (Bassnectar Remix) // Ben Jackson

State Champion – Old Green Room // Andrew Vess

Cookie Monster – C Is For Cookie // Daniel Jackson

Zac Brown Band – Let It Go // Chris Shelton

Hot Chip – And I Was a Boy From School // Dero Sanford

The Band Perry – If I Die Young // Craig Loibner

Son House – John the Revelator // Jeff Killingsworth

Switchfoot – Vice Verses // Rob McBryde

Gungor – Beautiful Things // Adam Holsted

Dan Mangan – Starts with Them, Ends with Us // Peter Loibner

Josh Garrels – Farther Along // Bobby Harrison

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues // Rob Callaham

Blackthorn Project – Whisper Your Love // Nathan James

Ray Charles – America the Beautiful // Jonathan Elder

Ferlin Husky – I Hear Little Rock Calling // Gerald New

Ok, that’s it. Until next year!

Oh yeah, and since I didn’t get one on there, here’s my little Christmas gift to you.

The Civil Wars – Disarm (Smashing Pumpkins Cover)

Posted on

Best in Music (2011) – Part 2

Now to change things up a bit. Any of these songs could have landed on the “best” side of things, but they didn’t fit the overall feel of that playlist. That means this line-up has a slightly different energy, but is equally enjoyable. Under the right circumstances, of course.

I know I sort of shortchanged you with no comments in Part 1. I’ll try to do better.

Download the .zip file for Part 2 right HERE.

Big Kenny & Little Mike – Chino Man // What else it there to say? Nothing really.

Skrillex – First of the Year (Equinox) // With Skrillex’s grammy nomination this year, I think it is safe to say that 2011 is the year that dubstep went mainstream. If you are unfamiliar with this genre, prepare for an assault on your eardrums.

Architecture in Helsinki – Contact High // I used to think this song was about the standard usage of the phrase “contact high.” I don’t think it means that.

Foster the People – Helena Beat // So Foster the People soared to fame with their single Pumped Up Kicks. Before it was played to death, I sort of like it. Fortunately, I like a few of their other songs.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Yellow Missing Signs // No idea what the band name means. Or the song title. Or the song lyrics.

Phantogram – Don’t Move // “all you do is shake, shake, shake / keep your body still”

Tedashii – Dum Dum (feat. Lecrae) // Like it or not, I heard this song about a thousand times this year.

M83 – Midnight City // As always, we all need more synth in our lives.

Coldplay & Rihanna – Princess of China // So in case you didn’t hear, Coldplay released an album this year. More or less typical Coldplay stuff. Which means good. This song received lots of criticism for the Rihanna collaboration. I sort of like it.

Mat Kearney – Hey Mama // Don’t want no drama.

Florence + The Machine – Shake It Out // “I am done with my graceless heart / So tonight I’m gonna cut it out and then restart” Word.

Manchester Orchestra – Apprehension // I think these guys came to town, and I missed it. Dang.

Houston We Have a Solution – Gun and a Grandfather Clock // I’m probably this group’s biggest fan.

That’s No Moon – Grey Haired Prince Charming // Ditto above.

The Morning Benders – Last Night (Strokes Cover) // Think I’m about done with comments.

Ben Ottewell – Lightbulbs

The Naked & The Famous – Girls Like You

Bon Iver – Michicant

We Were Promised Jetpacks – Act on Impulse

Generationals – Ten-Twenty-Ten

The Roots – The Other Side // We got started with a rap song (of sorts), so it seems fitting to end with one. Sorry about the profanity, I guess.

Posted on

Best in Music (2011) – Part 1

Been wondering what I’ve been doing for the last couple months? This is it. Prepping the end of year “best” in music. The “Part 1” in the title means that there is more to come.

Download the .zip file with track list and liner notes HERE.

It will come as no surprise to you that it was difficult to get it down to the bare essentials, but this is it. Well, this and another disc. But if I had one 80-minute playlist that I was forced to listen to all year long, this would be the one. It is “most” me. This is the music that you want playing in the background regardless of what you are doing. Hanging with friends, studying, cooking, whatever. This is a collection of songs that will never disappoint.

Beirut – Santa Fe

Peter Wolf Crier – Settling It Off 

Pepper Rabbit – Rose Mary Stretch

The Head and The Heart – Down in the Valley

Benjamin Francis Lefwich – Atlas Hands

The Milk Carton Kids – Michigan

Andrew Belle – The Ladder

Ben Rector – Without You

Blind Pilot – We Are the Tide 

Death Cab for Cutie – You Are a Tourist

TV On the Radio – Will Do

Josh Garrels – Farther Along 

Typhoon – Summer Home

Dan Mangan – Leaves, Trees, Forest

AA Bondy – Rt. 28/Believers 

Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse – Revenge (feat. The Flaming Lips)

The White Album – Guns and Ammunition

Freelance Whales – Girl U Want (Devo Cover)

Posted on

Four for Friday (fast forward)

And just like that a month goes by.

It has been a full one. They are all full ones. So by way of update, I thought I’d throw together four random things.

1) A couple of weeks ago, I went to a Blind Pilot show at Sticky Fingerz. As I expected, it was great. But real treat was that the opener, Dan Mangan, who was unknown to me ended up being a pleasant surprise. Here’s one of several songs I’ve enjoyed off his latest album, Oh Fortune.

Dan Mangan – How Darwinian

2) A while back, I shared the trailer for a book and video called Bloodlines. I had the chance to watch the full-length video with the rest of the church staff this week. It is worth seventeen minutes of your time.

3) Tomorrow evening, I’ll be going to my first Waterdeep show. It is right here in town. In fact, it is at my church. If you came, then we would both be there.

4) And finally, I crossed a milestone birthday last month. Yep. I’m old. Anyway, to celebrate the occasion, my family (minus one… or two?) slipped away to Banff. This little town in the heart of the Canadian Rockies is an outdoor lover’s paradise. We hiked every day. Over the course of the week, we probably covered somewhere close to 40 miles. Even little Si was up for some of the longer treks. Alison has a few posts and several photos on her blog. We loved every minute!

Dan Mangan – Leaves, Trees, Forests

Later.

Posted on

Four for Friday

Okay, here is some music to get your weekend started right.

Florence + The Machine – Shake It Out // “I am done with my graceless heart, so tonight I’m gonna cut it out and then restart.”

Coldplay – Paradise // Very Coldplay-ish, which is therefore very awesome-ish.

Wilco – Art of Almost // I like Wilco, but they are mostly on the fringe of my musical taste. With their latest album, they have moved a little closer to home for me. This song even had some Radiohead-like moments going on. That’s a good thing.

Ryan McAllister – Music for a Rainy Town // Rainy town indeed.

Later.

Posted on

Four for (Labor) Friday

Well, it is a holiday weekend and currently I’m a bit cooped up (in case you couldn’t tell). I obviously have no idea what your Labor Day weekend plans hold for you, but here’s some music to pass the time.

M83 – Midnight City

The Civil Wars – I Want You Back

Brooke Waggoner – So-So // This one comes courtesy of my friend, Jessica.

Josh Garrels – Farther Along

Posted on

Four (to see/hear) for Friday

Little Rock’s live music scene is just about right for me. Certainly, most of the bands and musicians I enjoy don’t find their way to Central Arkansas, but that is probably a good thing. I really don’t have the time or money to go see some live music once or twice a week. As it stands, I probably end up seeing about half a dozen or so shows a year.

That being said, this fall, Little Rock will be graced with the musical talent of no less than four artists that receive my stamp of approval. It is rare that everything works out for me to actually make it to these shows, but if any of you are interested, I might make a special effort.

Blind Pilot – Keep You Right / October 8th – Stickyz / Saw these folks a couple years ago in Chicago. Really great. Brand new song off an album being released soon. This is a can’t miss show.

Mutemath – Odd Soul / October 11th – Rev Room / These guys are some pretty creative dudes. Need proof? Head over HERE and see how they have put the wonderful world of the internets to use.

Generationals – Ten-Twenty-Ten / October 30th – Rev Room / They are appearing with Mates of State, which ain’t so bad either.

AA Bondy – The Heart Is Willing / November 11th – Stickyz / A perennial favorite is back again. This new track is a bit darker than some of his previous work. But no matter, I’m still looking forward to going.

BONUS…

Ben Rector – Autumn / October 26th – Juanita’s / All my college friends are nuts about this guy. I like him too. He has a new album out that you can DOWNLOAD for whatever amount you would like to donate… even free.

Happy Friday!

Posted on

Four (More Daytrotters) for Friday

A while ago, I mentioned this great music site. If I only had one source for music greatness, this would be it for all kinds of reasons.

But instead going into all that, I’ll just share four artists I really like who have done sessions with Daytrotter recently.

Andrew Belle – The Ladder (Daytrotter Session)

Seyrn – River Song (Daytrotter Session)

The Head and The Heart – Sounds Like Hallelujah (Daytrotter Session)

James Vincent McMorrow – Follow You Down to the Red Oak Tree (Daytrotter Session)

Later.

Posted on

Four (from the 80’s) for Friday

Last Saturday evening, I had the privilege of seeing some talented students perform in The Rep’s Summer Musical Theater Intensive (SMTI). This year’s production is “That 80’s Show: We Built This Smitty on Rock and Roll.” It wasn’t until the lights dimmed and things were underway that I realized just how deep the imprint this decade has left on my life. I hate to admit it, but there wasn’t a song performed that I didn’t know every single lyric. Sad, I know. So in honor of this penultimate decade of musical genius, four drum-machined and synth-ed songs for your listening pleasure. By the way, they are reprising the production in the fall. If you ever had parachute pants, leg warmers, Member’s Only jackets, highly teased bangs, or God forbid – a mullet, this is a show for you us.

In fact, let’s do this… how about we play a little game of name that tune. I’ll leave all the song info blank, and you can tell me if you know title and artist. Don’t strain yourself.

You should probably stripped of all music listening privileges for life if you don’t know this one.