Exactly one month ago today I started sharing music with all of you reading this and I'm very glad you all came along for the ride. There isn't much I get more enjoyment out of than sharing good music with good people and today will be the finale of a month of doing just that.
The following songs are all songs by people who inspire me in one way or another. All of these musicians pour themselves into their music and that gives me heart.
I've listed them as links instead of embedding video because I don't want to overload your browsers. I assure you that all the links are safe and all go to youtube.
So you may notice that this is the second song by Sufjan Stevens that I have posted. You may then ask yourself, “Why is he repeating himself?” Well in response, I am repeating myself because I really like Sufjan Stevens and he is probably the most influential musician is relation to my life.
The song I'd like to share with you today is “That Dress Looks Nice On You”. This song is a wonderfully sweet song that makes me feel happy every time I listen to it (or play it seeing as I decided I needed to teach it to myself on the guitar). It conjures up warm, fuzzy images and speaks of the good in this incredible musician. I urge you to share this song with everyone you know and I hope you like my favourite song as much as I do.
I've put up a video of Dub FX once before and for the most part he does trip hop style music. This song however is something else entirely. Dub FX and his girlfriend Flower Fairy take a step back from their norm and perform a very happy song full of smiles and good cheer.
“Sweet Dreams” is an iconic song that I'm sure nearly everyone has heard at one point or another. A very well written and catchy song, it's one that not many people have covered and even fewer successfully.
Kevin Fox has not only covered it beautifully but he's really brought something new and interesting to it that I promise you haven't heard done before. Off of his album “Songs For Cello and Voice” this arrangement is done primarily with his cello and a loopstation to create incredible depth and intricacy.
The members of Lace On Lipstick are three very talented women from Bristol, England. Incredible harmonies and inventive accompaniment are what make these girls stand out and rarely is an acapella group so engaging and modern. It takes a very real understanding of music to create harmonies like these and they pull them off wonderfully.
So, if you ever find yourself in Bristol, check them out. Until then, watch this.
Great music from across the pond, Admiral Fallow is a great up and coming band from Scotland. Their music is a mix between indie rock and folk all drawn together with their soothing accents we north americans can't seem to get sick of.
New music is always my favourite part of the day and I love to hear new bands like these guys making a go at it. I hope you do too.
Bruce Cockburn is a giant and as the man in the following video says, “a national treasure”. His music was a huge part of my childhood and I like to think it had a positive effect. I think this man is someone everyone should know and listen to at least in passing. I truly believe that our world would be a better place if more people were exposed to this music and music like it and as such I would like to do my part to make that a reality.
I find myself praising the lyricism of the musicians I blog about over and over again and I'm beginning to sound like a broke record but as is the case with this song, I think truly great lyrics are the key to truly great songs. The guitar playing is phenomenal and Bruce is a decent singer but the lyrics what make this song inspirational and moving and the lyrics are what make this song great.
Toyface is wonderful. She makes me happy just listening to her powerful voice and fun, intelligent songwriting. An independent musician with incredible talent she has been featured a few times on Ben Dowden's youtube channel and has an album on bandcamp.
A call back to a time of strong female singers, Toyface's “Beige Walls” takes you on a journey to explore this amazing artist.
Martyn Joseph is one of the biggest musical influences on my life. His music is almost like a friend to me, it's gotten me through good times and bad and now I'd like to share it with you lovely folks.
Largely acoustic folk music Martyn Joseph croons and lilts into the microphone about hardships and pleasures, about loves and desires, and about the world through his eyes. He shares his love of the world and of the people in it with his songs and does an amazing job of telling some of their stories.
“Proud Valley Boy” is a story about a man and his struggles in a changing world and the musician who got him through it. It's inspiring and a true testament to Martyn's abilities.
One half of the whimsical band Pomplamoose, Jack Conte is a musical architect, a master of sound, and a really cool guy. His solo songs are incredible feats of sound engineering and musicality and the dedication he shows to his craft and to his fans is something many musicians could aspire to.
“Gulf” is an intense song in true Jack Conte style. Countless layers and intricacies are all mashed together to make something great.
I was only recently introduced to Pete Samples but I can safely say that he is magic.
Incredibly soothing and well thought out music and lyrics. Unfortunately I couldn't find my favourite of his songs (Standing on the Shoulders of Giants) on youtube to share with you all but this song is also amazing. I urge you all to go download his album, it's free. He's cool like that. Go. Go now. http://www.petesamples.com/downloads.html
This is one of my favourite songs by the Barenaked Ladies. While I find a lot of their songs fall into the meaninglessness of pop music some of their songs are so chock full of meaning and emotion (mostly those written by Ed Robertson) that they make up for it all.
This song, and especially this version, show Ed's love for his brother and the pain of his loss. The guitar part is simple and the words are poignant and they add up to make a fantastic song.
This is another song by a youtube musician I follow. Today's song is an acoustic cover of the song “Handlebars” by the Flobots. I thought this worth a mention since I'm always inspired by musicians covering other's songs and really making them their own and I don't think there's any doubt that In Current Standing has done that.
This song is quite different than “Anne Braden”, the other Flobots song I posted but it is no less good. It still tells a story and incorporates strong social commentary but this song is more subtle. I think Lauren does a beautiful job covering an incredible song and I hope you agree.
(I'll include the original so you can check it out too.)
Canadian music is something to be proud of. It's very hard for a canadian artist to break into the music scene so whenever one does it's safe to assume that they've advanced their genre in some way. Buck 65 is a great example of that. I don't know a lot about hip-hop so I can't list influences and styles but I can say that this is not the typical sound coming out of small town Nova Scotia.
Rich Terfry (aka Buck 65) incorporates a lot of rock and blues influences into his music and the result is something unique and interesting. Above the music his raspy voice drones hypnotically punctuated by scratching and samples.
The first time anyone told me about Dub FX they said, “This man makes my ears purr.” I've come to agree with them. Not only is he an amazing songwriter but it's incredible to see how he creates his songs live. Dub FX is the definition of a performer and of a musician.
He creates incredible depth and intricacy using only a couple machines and his voice. A truly amazing and humbling act to watch, I present to you Dub FX performing “Love Someone” live on the street.
This is another song from State Radio and it's prolific lead, singer/songwriter Chad Stokes. “Keepsake” is a very different animal than most of their songs however. A far cry from their usually rough, electric sound this song is nonetheless chock full of meaning and emotion.
A love song with a heartbreaking twist this song is beautiful. Plain and simple.
As I'm sure you've gathered, I enjoy bands that fuse different styles into something new and unique. I especially like when a band takes an old style and breathes new life into it either through modern instruments or interpretations.
The Cat Empire does exactly that. This Aussie band brings the toe-tapping beat and blaring horn rifts of ska into the now with creative songwriting and the use of scratching and hip-hop beats to some of there songs. An inarguably modern band with that old-school feel The Cat Empire is one of the best things happening to music today. I hope you agree.
In a very different vein, I present to you Clutch. One of my favourite metal bands of all time Clutch introduces many blues influences into their hard hitting music. An awesome band that makes a man want to grow out his beard, Clutch plays good music with interesting lyrics, a far cry from a lot of traditional metal bands.
“Electric Worry” shows off these blues influences in a way not many of their other songs do, going so far as to have a harmonica solo in the middle. Blues rifts and harmonicas heard through distortion make this song a classic in my mind and show how interesting mixing genres can be.
Today, a little bit of irish charm. Damien Rice is a depressing man and I love him for it. His lilting voice speaks of pain and hardship in a world viewed through loving eyes. Despite these pains he is anything but jaded.
His heartfelt songs aren't just amazing because of the emotion though. His harmonies and overlapping melodies are something most artists can only dream of. Multiple voices and phrases weaving in and out of each other make his music something incredible to behold.
I'd like to start of my second week by saying thank you to everyone who has read my blog. I've been a little blown away by how many views my blog has gotten in it's first week and I'd love to hear some of your feedback as to what you've enjoyed, what you'd like to see, and what you think I could improve upon. Drop me a line by either commenting here, on facebook, or emailing me at the address found in my profile here on blogger.
In the spirit of a new week I've got a song that is divergent from last week in two ways. Lauren O'Connell is the first female songwriter to be featured in Music For Today and she is also the first home grown artist. Much of her work can be found on youtube and indeed, that is what generated much of her fan base.
This song is beautiful in it's simplicity. Extensive instrumentation and complex harmonies have their place in music and indeed can make a song incredible but with them comes the danger of hiding behind complexity. Lauren O'Connell and Julia Nunes let their voices speak for them over Lauren's guitar and banjo playing with only minor accompaniment from any other instruments.
This song is a call back to what I believe folk music is truly about. The words. The singer is the key to any folk band and in fact the singer is often the only part of most folk bands, often accompanying themselves on the guitar or banjo (or both in this case). The voice rises above and I think Lauren does a fantastic job of that in this song.
So again, thank you for reading and listening this past week and I hope you continue to for a long time to come.
Let me begin by saying that this artist is not in fact, the tallest man on earth. He's actually pretty short. But that's not really important.
This man is a poet. Plain and simple. He takes words and spins them into gold. This is made even more impressive when you realize that english isn't his first language. You'd never know it to listen to him though.
“The Gardener” was the first song I heard by Kristian Matsson, the swedish man often compared to Bob Dylan. I was immediately won over. His voice is perfect for folk music and his lyrical guitar playing is perfect for his voice. “The Gardener” tells a story without ever speaking plainly. The entire song is a metaphor and it's works wonderfully. I hope you agree.
This kind of song and this kind of songwriter are what make me love music. It takes a rare talent to write an engaging song without words, let alone without any accompaniment. Luckily for us, Andy McKee is a rare talent.
Following in the footsteps of greats like Don Ross, Andy McKee shows us just how much can be done with only six strings and some creativity. An almost surreal song, “Drifting” inspires me every time I listen to it. The percussive techniques, the harmonies, the lilting melody. I am blown away by Andy McKee over and over again.
I hope this song inspires you as much as it does me.
“Laura” shows off Flogging Molly perfectly. A wonderful mix of acoustic balladry and Irish influenced punk, this song exemplifies all that the band is. Showing off the band's strengths, this song features beautiful fiddle accompaniment over both electric and acoustic guitar as well as hard hitting drums, no pun intended. While this song doesn't showcase all seven members of the group it is nonetheless a fitting introduction to both the band and their best album in my opinion, Whiskey on a Sunday.
My favourite part is of course, the acoustic intro but the whole song is genius in is music and poetics and has made me love this woman as much as Dave King obviously did. A brilliant song from a brilliant band.
I have something a little different for you all today.
There aren't a lot of hip hop/rap artists I enjoy listening to but one of my favourites and one that never fails to impress me, no matter how many times I listen to their CDs, is the group Flobots. They combine quick and sophisticated lyrics with wonderfully arranged music, clearly demonstrating strong rock and rap influences along with a musical education rich in diversity.
“Anne Braden” is a story beautifully pieced together and wonderfully supported by the clever instrumentation. The true beauty is in the lyrics though and I bet you'll be singing along in no time.
This entry is dedicated with my whole heart, to one Ms. Phoebe K. Jones. I appreciate you. <3
Today! Today is a good day. “Why?” you may ask. Well because I have another wonderful song for you all.
Today's song is by one of the best songwriters of today, and I would argue of all time. Chad Stokes, formerly of Dispatch, now the driving force behind State Radio, is a lyrical genius and a very good guitar player to boot. All of his songs have incredible weight behind them both in meaning and sheer musicality.
“Mr. Larkin” is no exception. Written from the perspective of a man pleading to his boss, this song tells a story of love and devotion made difficult in a harsh world. Chad's lyricism shines throughout this song, leaving no doubt in your mind as to the man's love for his wife as well as making his situation clear to all who listen. What truly gives this song so much feeling though is the truth behind it. Written about a friend of Chad's, this song is an incredible example of the his ability to turn the world around him into music.
Today I've got another soothing acoustic folk song for you. These kinds of songs are probably my favourite but I promise there will be many other genres and styles over the course of this series.
Sufjan Stevens is a man full of emotion and conflict and that definitely comes out in his music. I'll probably include more of his songs in this series but for today I'd like to share with you an acoustic version of the song “Chicago”. This song was originally released on the album “Illinois” but the acoustic version I have fallen in love with was released later on the album “The Avalanche”.
This song means a lot to me both in relation to real events and people as well as for itself and I can only hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
This is the first in what will hopefully be a long running series entitled “What Am I Listening To?” in which I will share a song each day that I have found particularly inspirational, moving, or just plain fantastic.
Today I've been listening to the band Horse Feathers almost exclusively and one song in particular. From the 2008 album “House With No Home”, “Curs in the Weeds” is a beautiful song that that implies much more than it says. Dredging up images long since faded with age, Justin Ringle's voice floats over serene violin and cello accompaniment seemingly singing of every peaceful moment and laying bare emotions long neglected.
An amazing song that can be so sad and so heartening at the same time the music video is perfect blend of the same offering a story that pulls at your heart strings while putting a smile on your face.
