Archive for the 'gnarls barkley' Category

BOTM vol 12

Published by
billy
at November 4, 2008 in amie miriello, arcade fire, ben lee, best of the month, bob, bossonova, botm, chark mu, coldplay, cover, decemberists, digital leather, gnarls barkley, goodtimes goodtimes, indie, jay z, kooks, lily allen, live, mgmt, modest mouse, mp3, music, nirvana, of montreal, raveonettes, smashing pumpkins and sufjan stevens. 4 Comments

Welcome back to The World Forgot.  Welcome back to the Best of the Month series.  Welcome many readers to election day and welcome the rest of you to a wonderful November 4th.  For those that are still unaware what the BOTM series is all about here’s a quick refresher.  I collect songs all month long and the best that I’ve heard in the past thirty days I put together in one easy to find post.  If you’d like to browse through the past eleven volumes click here.  Enjoy the music, and if you live in the Midwest enjoy the glorious sunshine.

All the tracks in one zip file : here {zshare = left click}

mp3 : Amie Miriello - Disarm (Smashing Pumpkins Cover)
This is easily one of my favorite Smashing Pumpkins songs and I think this cover respects the original material while at the same time Amie isn’t afraid to put her own spin on this classic.  It actually sounds a bit like if Stevie Nicks covered the Pumpkins.

mp3 : Arcade Fire - Brazil (Bossonova Cover)
The music in this cover is every bit as cheeky as you’d expect but for some reason Win Butler’s voice adds just the right amount of gravitas to make this cover worth a second, third, or tenth listen.

mp3 : B.o.B. - Left Field Lovely
This track reminds me of all my favorite parts of Outkast.  If that’s not brilliant enough endorsement for this track I’m willing to bet you hate everything I love.

mp3 : Ben Lee - Float On (Modest Mouse Cover)
This is a pretty raw cover of the song that put Modest Mouse on literally every iPod in the world.  Never mind that about two thirds of the way through the song Ben accidentally halts the song and has to count it off again.  It’s wonderful.

mp3 : Chark Mu - Eh Oh
Mr. Mu makes mighty impressive remixes.  Apparently when he’s not splicing together beats and melodies he’s busy making some equally impressive original material.  Clearly Chark Mu is a force to be reckoned with.

mp3 : Coldplay - Lost+ (feat Jay-Z)
After Chris Martin contributed a bit of talent to that Jay-Z track a ways back we all knew that Z would return the favor.  That’s just the type of classy gentleman he is.  The rhymes don’t kick in until after the two minute mark, but they’re worth the wait.

mp3 : Digital Leather - Dead Sound (Raveonettes Cover)
The first two thirds of this track are filled with enough glitches and blips to satisfy anyone with a heart for Fruity Loops or Acid Pro.  The real beauty reveals itself when the music is stripped away for a moment and you realize your heart is crying out for it to begin again.  Don’t worry, it does.

mp3 : Goodtimes Goodtimes - Eloise
If you’re wondering who should be crowned the next Dylan look no further than this track.  Seriously.  It is as if the vocals, the melodies, the whisper of whimsy, the overdose of melancholy, and the guitar strumming are taken right from Bob himself.

mp3 : Lily Allen - Naive (The Kooks Cover)
Lady Sov can kiss Lily’s butt.  If there was any question as to who was the better of these two oft quarrelling ladies this song puts most of that squabble to bed.  Honestly, can anyone imagine Sov pulling off anything like this?

mp3 : Of Montreal - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley Cover)
It’s live, it doesn’t have the best audio quality, but it captures the fun that is infused into every Of Montreal set.  And let’s not forget that Kevin Barnes can actually sing {even if he might be the weirdest performer currently on tour}.

mp3 : Of Montreal and MGMT - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana Cover)
I’m not sure where this cover comes from.  It’s in a live setting, and it’s decent quality, but what I find more fascinating is that it’s Of Montreal and MGMT paying homage to Nirvana.  And they do it in an appropriate straight up rocking sort of way.  Kudos.

mp3 : Sufjan Stevens - In The Words Of The Governor
Will Suf ever release a new album?  There really hasn’t been much news surrounding the Sufjan camp these days.  It seems as if he’s busy shooting high 8 videos, writing instrumental pieces honoring highways, and signing more talent to his ever growing indie label.  This song is way different than most of what you’ve heard.  And it’s still brilliant.

mp3 : The Decemberists - Valerie Plame
I’m not sure The Decemberists will ever live up to the glorious splendor that was The Crane Wife.  Right now they’re putting out a series of EP’s and performing some songs on late night talk shows.  This happens to be one of those songs.  I like it, so just listen to it and agree with me.

That’s all for volume 12 of the BOTM series.  Come back often and read some of the regular posts where I basically tell you what’s good, what’s bad, and I succeed in convincing you that you’re not cool unless you’re just like me.  Oh, and make sure you check back tomorrow to catch the Best of the Remix series.  Cheers.

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BOTM vol 09

Published by
billy
at August 4, 2008 in akon, best of the month, bob dylan, botm, boy bathing, database, gnarls barkley, grizzly bear, indie, lily allen, mates of state, midnight martyn, mp3, music, mystery jets, nathan moomaw, ne yo, santogold and secret life of sofia. 5 Comments

Someday I’m going to use Photoshop again and update the Best of the Month graphic.  Until that day comes {I’ll need to snag a new computer first} I’ll keep the old picture and instead focus on bringing some good music to the interwebs.  Here below are the best thirteen tracks I heard during the previous month.  By no means are these the best tracks that were made/released during the past month, but they are the best tracks that I personally had time to listen to.  Enjoy the music and tell your friends.

All the tracks in one zip file : here {zshare = left click}

mp3 : Akon - Sorry, Blame It On Me
I don’t know why, but I love this song.  I heard a parody of it on a random youtube video and was instantly reminded how great this song is.  So, in a roundabout way, I thought of Akon and all the things he’s probably sorry about.  At least he didn’t blame it on the rain.
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mp3 : Bob Dylan - Dreaming of You
Bobby has been a little creepy lately.  Ever since he was featured in a Victoria’s Secret commercial he’s come across like a lecherous old man perv {and maybe he is}.  This song does nothing to erase that mental image, but Dylan is still Dylan and he continues to make good music {even if it sounds like it might be influenced by the work of his boy Jacob}.
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mp3 : Database feat. Midnight Martyn - Party People
Granted, this probably, almost, kinda, sorta should qualify for a spot in Best of the Remix series.  For some reason it ends up here and you should all be less judgmental of my list making abilities {i can has mad skills!} and more supportive of hearing awesome tracks.
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mp3 : Gnarls Barkley - Going On
Will the dynamic duo ever hit the heights of Crazy again?  I’m inclined to say they won’t, but on the other hand look how another duo, Outkast, consistently has come through with smash hit after smash hit.  This track might not be quite Crazyesque, but it is awesome.
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mp3 : Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
For most of their career Radiohead has chosen fine bands to open for them when the tour the U.S.  {with exception of their tour with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks}.  Grizzly Bear sounds a bit like seventies rock driftwood that’s washed up along the Radiohead shore.  And for some reason they pull it off.
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mp3 : Lily Allen - Everythings Just Wonderful
Off the top of my head I’m inclined to believe Lily Allen is the best female solo artist out of the UK.  I would bet she would agree.  She’s definitely the best hip hop lady from Britain.  That is undisputed.  Part of me secrectly likes her because she’s so full of herself.
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mp3 : Mates of State - The Re-Arranger
If you’re only going to download one track today this should be your choice.  I’ve been a Mates of State fan for awhile now, but this takes their music to a new level.  The layers in this song are brilliantly well done.  Three cheers to Mates of State.
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mp3 : Nathan Moomaw - March
The album this track comes from is really interesting to listen to.  Mr. Moomaw wrote one song a month for each month he was twenty six years old.  March is my birth month and he wrote a nice slice of melancholy for me… or March, whatever.
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mp3 : Ne-Yo - Take A Bow (Rihanna Cover)
My disdain for Rihanna has been well documented so I don’t feel I need to rant about her again.  I am glad to present this cover to you.  Ne-Yo takes this song to a level Rihanna could never imagine {even if she is hot}.
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mp3 : Santogold - Icarus
The opening track sounds like what I imagine a drunken goose and whale duet would sound like.  When the drum kit is added into the mix the song becomes sublime.  Literally ear candy.  Even the whine laden childish vocals seem to fit here.
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mp3 : The Boy Bathing - The Beaches Meet the Sea
I really enjoy The Boy Bathing.  Although this isn’t my favorite track by them {I posted that awhile back} this song is a solid example of their talent.  This is a classic example of what indie pop can {and should} sound like.  It builds and builds adding layer upon layer until there is a sonic complexity that is gorgeous.
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mp3 : Mystery Jets - Flakes
There are some bands that I enjoy less in their pure form and more in their oft remixed tracks.  Mystery Jets are one of those bands.  For some reason I usually can’t get my attention to be totally involved in their music outside of remixes.  This track, though, has staying power.
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mp3 : The Secret Life of Sofia - Nanda Devi
I simply love this song and I think each and every single one of you should promptly download this track so you can love it too.
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That’s all I have today.  Enjoy the music.

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EA Mix vol 8 - Fix Me Now

Published by
admin
at December 1, 2006 in ea mix, elefant, gary jules, get set go, gnarls barkley, joseph arthur, josh garrels, jude, killers, lindsey czechowicz, matt costa, mix, mp3, music, smashing pumpkins, snow patrol, weepies and zach wililams. 3 Comments


I’m still not sure why I titled this mix “fix me now” although maybe at the time I was working on this slice of music it was a cry for help. I’ve been dealing with a lot lately. I think that’s all that needs to be vomited here.

So below is the mix. Bowing to popular opinion I have decided to upload the mix as a single file download. The individual songs are still available here, but if you want to just snag them all at one time I’ve supplied that link as well.

download : EA Mix vol 8 - Fix Me Now

01 : Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars (Acoustic) : This song is great in any format. Their last two albums have both been solid efforts and it’s always refreshing to hear a band present their material in a new way. This version is raw, one take, maybe even one track. However it was recorded it’s a great way to start mix 8.

02 : Jude - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley Cover) : This cover reminds me a bit of JD Natasha’s cover of Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’ just without the backing orchestra. It’s bouncy, it doesn’t really take itself seriously, and Jude comes across like a better version of Jason Mraz. Maybe that’s because he actually has talent.

03 : Zach Williams - Push : Yes, I might have a slight infatuation with Zach Williams. I think the man is brilliant and just waiting for his turn to play for a larger audience. This song starts slow and rapidly develops into something amazing. I simply love the line “I was wondering how long, how long it’d take for you to notice, I can’t look you dead in the eye without losing time.” Danceable.

04 : Get Set Go : I Hate Everyone : Just to clarify, I don’t hate everyone. Most people I actually like, or can at least get along with. But apparently Get Set Go has some anger issues, maybe a bit of latent bitterness towards something. This song reminds me a bit of Weezer a la the Pinkerton era. A tad silly, a dash of melancholy, and catchy licks.

05 : The Weepies : World Spins Madly On : “I woke up, and wished that I was dead, with an aching in my head. Thought of you, and where you’d gone, and the world spins madly on.” The process of the end has never been something easy to swallow, but it’s also never been this beautifully told either.

06 : Josh Garrels - Answer in Love (Live) : So much of this song comforts my heart at times when all I can do is try not to think. Josh is again in the studio attempting to what amounts to copious loads of new music. His hope is that at the end of the day he’ll have written so many songs that he can hand pick only the best for his new album. If there’s even one as great as this song he’ll have no problem moving the merchandise.

07 : Elefant - Why : I can’t decide if this group fits into a genre like ska/punk or eighties revival. Maybe they’re more a ska/punk band who’s only one keytar away from achieving pure eighties glory. No matter what type of sound or genre they were attempting to hit in this song it’s still a good pop song. Straight forward, it is what it is, and it’s worth hearing.

08 : Gary Jules - Something Else : It seems as if Gary Jules is back in the spotlight after his biggest song [his cover of Tears for Fears' - Mad World] was used in a tv ad for Gears of War. This is original Jules writing, and the man has some talent, even if the sound behind the words is a bit oldschool.

09 : Matt Costa - Astair : I need to do a feature just on Matt Costa. His latest album is easily worth downloading from allofmp3, or maybe even from some other overpriced proprietary garbage software program that will remain unnamed. All hateration aside this song is good acoustic folk, which is Matt Costa’s bread’n'butter.

10 : Lindsey Czechowicz - Escape : Probably the hardest name ever to type on a keyboard. I hereby move to change her stage name to LC. It’s hip, the letters actually stand for her name, and it’s easier for the kids to say. I think I have something against musical acts that use difficult to pronounce, spell, file, or remember, names.

11 : The Killers - Why Do I Keep Counting : Yes, the second song I’ve featured off of Sam’s Town. And I know many people out there are still sad that The Killers deviated from their original glam pop sound. But listen to this entire song. It’s larger than life, it’s [gasp] a new direction for them, and it’s definitely heavily influenced by The Boss. “Help me get down, I can make it, help me get down.” “And if all our days are numbered then why do I keep counting?”

12 : Joseph Arthur - Enough to Get Away : On this song it feels as if Joseph Arthur is actually mashing up his older material with the best of Belle and Sebastian. Basically it’s any indie kids dream. All of his newest album, Nuclear Daydream, is worth a listen. Mr. Arthur continually makes impressive indie pop music, and he’s a, how should I say this, dedicated painter as well.

13 : Smashing Pumpkins - 1979 (Acoustic) : Yes it’s official, according to Billy Corgan and Myspace at least, the Pumpkins are back together and are recording a new album which is due out summer of ‘07. It just felt natural to end this mix on a classic from one of the greatest rock bands that the States have ever produced. Here’s to hoping that Billy and crew stick together, get along, and keep away from drugs.

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this is what the world forgot