Song Of The Week #46

So I was reviewing my stats from last year and apparently my most popular post is still my very first post –  Top Ten Covers. It turns out, covers are still a big subject on the internet and I thought, why not renew the topic again?

Midnight City – Trails And Ways

This is easily one of my favourite cover works. Seriously, ‘eargasmic’ is the appropriate word.

Trails & Ways are an Oakland-based four-piece that focuses on bassanova dream pop. The group gained widespread (and well-deserved) popularity due to their fantastic covers – having covered ‘Animal’ by Miike Snow, ‘Nunca’ by Ghost Beach and ‘Sure Things’ by Miguel, Trails and Ways practically took the blogosphere by storm, spreading on the indie charts like wildfire and impressing many.

Midnight City is a cover of the M83 song of the same name, and is found on Trails & Way’s ‘Sure Thing’ single.

Enjoy!

 – Jonathan

Song Of The Week #27

Having just read The Great Gatsby, I am naturally very interested in the film, which should be coming out some time next year. The trailer seems decent enough, and  it certainly doesn’t hurt that some pretty neat tunes are featured.

Jack White – Love Is Blindness

Jack White, better known for his role in rock duo The White Stripes, is an American musician and (according to my dear ol’ friend Wikipedia) number 70 on the Rolling Stone’s list of greatest guitarists of all time. Not that I actually care what the Rolling Stone has to say.. I always find their reviews to be much too harsh, and in many cases severely biased.

Early in his career, Jack formed, together with is then-wife Meg White, The White Stripes and with their single Seven Nation Army achieved world recognition. After many a happy year though, the duo split apart due to ‘a myriad of reasons …but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band’.

Love Is Blindness, originally appearing on U2’s 1992 Achtung Baby, was covered by Jack White on the 2011 tribute album AHK-tong BAY-bi Covered. The album celebrated Achtung Baby’s 20th anniversary by gathering a well-known host of artists (The Fray, Snow Patrol and Depeche Mode, to name a few) to cover each track.

The song is featured in the trailer of The Great Gatsby, and can be listened to here.

Enjoy!

 – Jonathan

Pick-Me-Up Song #2

There are certain songs that never cease to lift the mood. Songs that seem to command your body to move, boogey down and simply sing your goddarn heart out. Midnight City easily fits this jolly category.

Listen here.

 M83 has always amazed me. When describing their music, the word that springs to mind is ‘epic’, and by epic I mean epic in its rawest and truest form – not today’s worn out edition used by kids.

“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.”– Angela Monet. Indeed they were. Now, if you’ll please excuse me, my limbs scream to dance. Or have a seizure. In my case, it doesn’t matter, they both are all-too similar.

 Cheers to the bright side of things!

 – Jonathan

Song Of The Week #13

On today’s agenda:

The Good Natured – Be My Animal

The Good Natured are a talented eletropop trio, hailing from that oh-so-beloved country England. Formed in 2008, the band enjoyed their debut EP on July 7 of the same year. Although having received numerous positive praise for the EP (Warriors), it was only in March of 2011 that they received an offer to be signed to a label (Parlophone).

Well, my dear Parlophone Friends, you will not regret signing them, I can sure you. The Good Natured are  a rare breed of musician offering a heavenly gothic twist to the otherwise dying race of electro-pop. Their dark themes and stunning lyrics will keep listeners hooked and eagerly awaiting more.

Be My Animal is their single from 2010.

Enjoy!

 – Jonathan

Song Of The Week #12

Here comes the last installation to my Six Weeks Absence series. Last, but not least, I would enjoy the privilege to introduce:

Talking To Turtles – A Car, A Beer, Cigarettes

 You know, I used to be of the opinion that german music was hopeless. As a german-speaking individual, I can tell you the language isn’t too beautiful, at least, not in the way french is. Complex? Yes. Definitely. A bit rough on the ears, to be honest. Anyway, my point is: I haven’t heard a good german artist in a while.

Until now.

Talking To Turtles is a duo consisting of Florian Sievers and Claudia Göhler, that originated in Rostock, Leipzig. When? No clue. Their website is less-than helpful when it comes to a biography. Nonetheless, the highlight is supposed to be the music.

A Car, A Beer, Cigarettes is the eight track off their August 19, 2011 album ‘Oh, the Good Life’.

On top of having beautiful lyrics, the song offers an overwhelming feel of acoustic bliss that, in turn, contributes to the ‘touchiness’ and delicacy of the song. Acoustic songs always captivate me, and this one is no exception.

Well, I guess this concludes my Six Week Absence post. I do hope it doesn’t happen again, but I can offer no promises. Better a broken promise than not at all, eh Twain?

Enjoy!

– Jonathan

Song Of The Week #11

Here we go:

Priory – Lady Of Late

Priory is one of those bands that  fall under the category ‘Deserve To Be Heard More’. Everything from their sweet harmonies, haunting lyrics and beautiful music just screams talent.

Formed in 2008 by buddies Brandon Johnson and Kyle Dieker, the band later added two more friends of theirs and, with the help of Expunged Records, released a celtic, instrumental album titled Grail Songs as well as an EP (‘Cold Hands) in 2010.

They are currently working on their self-titled debut album, set to be released on June 21 of this year.

Lady Of Late is a song off their upcoming album Priory.

Enjoy!

– Jonathan

Song Of The Week #10

Say, we’re half way there already. Part four, please welcome:

Jinja Safari – Hiccups

Jinja Safari is an Australian indie band formed in 2010. The band, although not having released a debut album yet, has released two EPs and a compilation album.

One of the many things I love about this group is the unique sound they offer: folk-pop peppered with a strong hint of african inspiration.

Their ‘Hiccups’ is one of those those songs that simply defines the term ‘chill and relaxed’. Listening to it makes me want to take the car out and drive out to the country-side; to forget about the rest of the world and just bask in the beauty of nature. Rarely does a song make me feel this way, and exactly this is what makes Hiccups such an amazing song.

The song is the third track on their compilation album Locked By Land.

Enjoy!

– Jonathan

Song Of The Week #9

Part three of the Six Week Absence series. Next we have:

Animal Kingdom – Strange Attractor

Unfortunately, there isn’t much information to be found regarding Animal Kingdom. Three things are clear, though:

1.Animal Kingdom is a three-piece comprised of Geof Lea, Hammich Crombie and Richard Sauberlich

2. Having had numerous touring experience with bands such as Vampire Weekend and Snow Patrol, the band released a debut album in 2009, titled ‘Signs and Wonders’

3. They are good.

And because point number three is worth repeating: they are good.

Strange Attractor is their latest single, released on January 31 of this year.

Enjoy!

– Jonathan

Song Of The Week #8

Part two of the Six Weeks Absence series. I present:

Young The Giant – Cough Syrup

Young The Giant (formerly The Jakes) is an American alternative rock band based in Irvine, California. The band formed in 2004 and, after numerous changes in their line-up, released their eponymous debut album  on October the 26th of 2010.

As with the story of I’d Rather Dance With You, the discovery of this song was a Google search gone wrong (or maybe in these cases, a search gone right). Should one type the word ‘cough’ into Google, you would get the suggestion ‘cough syrup lyrics’. Clicking on this resulted in the discovery of yet another enjoyable band.

Cough Syrup is the fourth track (and second single) on their debut album Young The Giant, released in 2010.

Listen here.

Enjoy!

– Jonathan

Song Of The Week #7

Damn – it sure has been quite the while, hasn’t it?

Should one care to do the math, one would deduce that February 13 (last post) to March the 26th (this post) spells an interval of roughly, correct me if I’m wrong, six weeks. So…to make up for this six weeks absence, I will post six Song Of the Day posts today.

Sound fair? We’ll get started with:

The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio

My first encounter with The National was through their song ‘Fake Empire’. I had seen the album cover on an internet article and decided to check them out. After having listened to them, I immediately grew to love them. They’re one of those bands where your mind simply tells you ‘Man, dude, you’ve got to listen to more of their stuff”. They quite remind me of Franz Ferdinand.

The National is an indie rock band whose roots lies in Cincinnati, Ohio. Formed in the year 1999 by Matt Berninger and 4 of his childhood friends, the band enjoyed its debut album on the 30th of October, 2001 and has since then released four more albums, along with at least 2 EPs.

Bloodbuzz Ohio is the lead single on the album High Violet, released May 10, 2010.

Listen here.

Enjoy!

– Jonathan