American Idol – Love You Inside Out

Melinda gave an good performance of Love You Inside Out. As performed by Feist, this is one of my favorite songs.

Listen: Feist, Inside Out.

Buy: Feist, Let It Die.

 

Music of the Week – Anita O’Day, Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse, Feist, The Unmixed Tracks

This week, I have been listening to a blend of new and old. These songs have stuck with me as I have wandered around town making and trying to implement plans.

Anita O’Day, I Didn’t Know What Time It Was.

This has long been a favorite song. It’s Rodgers & Hart, and though I have heard it dozens if not hundreds of times, the meaning eludes me. Perhaps, because it’s reflective, it’s quite sad, though the lyrics would suggest happiness.

This is the refrain:

I didn't know what time it wasthen I met you.Oh, what a lovely time it was,How sublime it was too!I didn't know what time it wasyou held my hand.Warm like the month of May it was,and I'll say it was grand.

Grand to be alive, to be young,to be mad, to be yours alone!Grand to see your face, feel your touch,hear your voice say I'm all your own.

I didn't know what time it waslife was no prize.I wanted love and here it wasshining out of your eyes.I'm wise,and I know what time it is now.

Buy Anita O’Day on iTunes.

Arctic Monkeys, You Know I’m No Good.

I actually love Arctic Monkeys, and I am looking forward to buying their new album. Here is there cover of another of my favorite songs, Amy Winehouse’s You Know I’m No Good, which has followed me around all week.

Buy Favourite Worst Nightmare.

Feist, Tout Doucement.

I have been humming this all week. It’s lovely and lounging.

Buy Let It Die this week and The Reminder next week.

The Unmixed Tracks.

The most exciting thing I have heard this week is an unmixed guitar/bass/drum track from the album. I literally jumped up and down when I heard it. It was as I had imagined it would sound when I first heard the demo. I am tempted to play it again, but getting my heart racing would be extremely foolish when I really should be falling asleep.

 

Blog Round-Up – Diplo, Feist, Live Blogs

Status Ain’t Hood has an insightful interview with Diplo. They hit a lot of interesting topics and it’s always interesting to read other people’s experiences working in independent hip-hop and club music.

Spinner has a short interview with Feist.

Notes from a Different Kitchen links to a Devin the Dude performance on a new web show called Freestyle 101.

Dreams of Horses references a Serge Gainsbourg tribute album entitled Monsieur Gainsbourg:Revisited featuring covers by Cat Power, Feist, Franz Ferdinand, and others.

Surviving the Golden Age has a rundown of this week’s underwhelming new releases.

Superb Live links to two other live music blogs: Some Bootleg and All Night Thing.

Boing Boing has a quote from Dick Dale, advising artists to stay away from major labels.

Slashfood has a post on a new web series, Dinner With the Band, which features indie bands and um dinner.

 

More Feist Tracks at Noise for Toasters

Noise for Toasters has another great set of Feist songs up from her new album The Reminder, which is due out on May 1.

 

Feist – My Man, My Moon and One Evening

I lost Feist, My Man, My Moon when my hard drive died a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks to The Hype Machine, I found it again on Blogs are for Dogs.

Click below to stream a live version of “One Evening” from The Black Sessions/Studio 105 in 2004. (Credit belongs to ryball, who exists no longer for providing amazing live performances.)

Buy Feist on Amazon and iTunes.

 

The Week That Was – A Valuable Lesson

I am tired of the “it was a stressful week” litany . . .so, this week, I am accentuating the positive.

My lesson of the week, month, year, relationship is that it’s always better to tell the whole truth than try to protect your SO, friend, client, etc. from uncertainty.

Uncertainty is the bane of my existence. People come to me for answers and certainty, and sometimes, it’s just not there.

Last night, T said “we’re not children, we can handle it.” And he was right.
(Thanks, guys, you really do rock.)

From here on, you all get the whole truth. Even if it drives you all as crazy as it drives me.

On the new music front, I am not that interested in the stuff floating around the blogs this week (Wilco? Really?) .

Except for Beirut and Feist.

 

New Feist Album – The Reminder – Out May 1

I have written about Feist here before. I love her 2004 album Let It Die, which I only discovered in 2006. I have heard her live shows, thanks to the dearly departed ryball.net.

She has a new album coming out May 1 and Dallas blog Gorilla vs Bear has a new track and other information here.

 

My Top Songs of 2006

Since I lost my collection multiple times from July – November, I can’t say for certain which songs I listened to most in 2006, aside from the bands/labels with whom I worked.

My music preferences shifted a bit in 2006. I started listening to much more indie music and following some of the indie blogs more closely. My preferences over the past few years have been much more funk, soul, r&b, and hip-hop, but now I am reincorporating much more.

My current favorite song is the acoustic demo “Temple.” I can hear it five times in a row and love it as much each time. I also can hear how excellent it sounds currently on the rough mix and imagine how it will sound live and on the next EP. It’s an excellent song, and the guys should be really, really proud.

Here are what I think were my top non-client songs:

One Evening, Feist.

I heard it for the first time on the Hike and Bike and I could not get home fast enough to figure out who and what the hell this was. It was an iTunes free download and I was absolutely capitivated. To me, it has a lounge-y Montréal vibe that fit beautifully with my trips to Montréal. Plus, it got me listening to everything by Feist, and other songs that hit that same feel, including some chanson. Any song that can do that makes my list any year.

Naive, The Kooks/Lily Allen.

I first heard the Lily Allen Live Lounge cover and I loved it. Then I had to go find the Kooks. I have three versions of the song on iTunes and they get equal play — the sign of a great pop song.

Munich, Editors/Corinne Bailey Rae.

The original and the cover are two very different songs. Each completely compelling, but with very different meanings.

Morris Brown, OutKast.

Because of the “soundtrack” tag, people slept on this album. Morris Brown is destined to be a classic, and I will keep forcing it on everyone I know.

Wamp Wamp (What it Do), Clipse.

Despite my entreaties to have D cover it, I think it will remain untouched. Still I have gotten it stuck in the minds of many of my compatriots, and that’s almost good enough.

Is It Any Wonder, Keane.

This is a great song. The performance, lyrics, and that driving rhythm send me and I sing it at the top of my lungs every time it comes on. For that, I apologize to the neighbors.

Until Yesterday, JC Chasez.

Never in my life did I think I would love a song by this joker, especially after the suck he perpetrated on “Some Girls Dance with Women.” Thanks to Idolator, I have a new addition to my 5 star list. It has an American 80s vibe, which feels retro and current simultaneously.

Standing On My Own Again, Graham Coxon.

Thanks to Stereogum. What can I say, it reminds me of my youth.

SexyBack, Justin Timberlake.

A distractingly great club song. Watching the family dance to this at our impromptu Christmas party was a blast and cemented the generational appeal. I am sure ours was not the only family dancing to this one over the holidays. But maybe we were.

White Daisy Passing, Rocky Votolato.

A free iTunes track. It’s acoustic, but it has a soulful vibe.

Seems To Be On My Mind, Suburban Kids with Biblical Names.

One of the best band names I have heard in a while. It’s a jaunty song I can imagine being sung by people getting progressively drunker. Plus, it has two changes in the middle, which automatically bumps it higher for me.

The rest of my top songs are a combination of OutKast, Lily Allen, the Kooks, Artic MOnkeys, Phoenix, TTC and all of the covers from Live Lounge. Oh, yeah, and Crazy. Perfect song for a wacky year.

 

Favorites

I have two preference lists in iTunes: favorites and all-time.

Favorites are songs I can hear over and over again and look forward to hearing. All-time are favorites to an nth degree.

Current favorites include:

Bounce That Girl Talk
Mad World (tears for fears cover) Gary Jules
Such Great Heights Iron & Wine
Love You Inside Out Feist
You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will. (Live) Snow Patrol
Let Me Love You (Mario cover) Charlotte Church
Wonderwall (Oasis cover live) Ryan Adams
Guns and Cigarettes Atmosphere
1976 RJD2
Acousticon Theme Youngblood Brass Band
Everyday Is A Holiday (With You) (Featuring Sean Lennon) Esthero
Kryptonite Big Boi Ft. Purple Ribbons Allstars
Morris Brown OutKast featuring Scar & Sleepy Brown
Is It Any Wonder Keane
Naive The Kooks