SOTW: The Wild Hunt - The Tallest Man On Earth

[The SOTW can be streamed from Grooveshark widget in the sidebar. As always I encourage you to visit the artist's website and support them.]

I left my heart to the wild hunt a-comin'

I live until they call

And I plan to be forgotten when I'm gone

Yes I'll be leavin' in the fall

It's Back!

The SOTW has been a less that regular feature this year. In part I've had other things to blog about (lots of race reports mostly) but I was also having a hard time finding anything I wanted to throw up on the playlist. 

But, I've found a string of good stuff to share. The first of which is this week's selection: The Wild Hunt by Swedish folk artist Kristian Matsson under the moniker The Tallest Man On Earth. It is the title track of his April 2010 release which is the best new album I've heard this year. The title, I think, refers to the European legend of the Wild Hunt. You can read into the possible illusion as much as you like.

I was shocked to discover that Matsson is Swedish because there something immediately Dylan-esque about Matsson's cougar-call of a voice and his wandering lyrics. There is nothing Swedish about this album though - this is pure American folk. It might take a couple of listens but once you get used to his voice I think this is a great track and a noteworthy record.  

I hope you enjoy. 

I plan to have lots of posts this week and string of SOTW's to come so check back!

Have a great week,

a

Posted via email from alcovia's posterous

SOTW: I Don't Wanna Grow Up - Hayes Carll

[The Song Of The Week can be streamed from the the Grooveshark Widget on the the sidebar. As always I encourage you to support the artist and visit their website.]

After a bit of a dry spell I finally stumbled on something I liked for the S.O.T.W. I've been on a bit of an alt-country kick as of late and it shows in this week's choice: Hayes Carll's cover of Tom Waite's I Don't Wanna Grow Up. You can find this track on Carll's 2008 release Trouble in Mind. All this twang is probably related to my newfound appreciation for whiskey. Just this weekend I watched my friends choke down a cup of Gentleman Jack we were passing around and drown it with Miller Lite at Ben's going away party. Meanwhile, I sipped it and chased it with my glass of Jack on the rocks.

The rest of the evening is fuzzy.

Our drinking exploits aside, this is an appropriate track pick this week though as Tank, Dr. K and I are heading out this weekend to spend a week in the North Carolina mountains with the UW Cycling Team. Actually, there are always a number of alumni on this trip - at least 3 of them over 30. It seems none of us want to grow up.

Or maybe we've just found the best way to do it.

Have a great week!

a

Posted via email from alcovia's posterous

SOTW: Despite What You've Been Told - Two Gallants

[The Song Of The Week can be streamed from the Grooveshark player on the sidebar. As always I encourage you to visit the band's website.]

Sorry for the brief posting hiatus the last few weeks. Snow and work sidetracked me. However, I've been actively searching for a new SOTW and Pandora eventually tipped me of to the San Francisco based alt-country duo Two Gallants. From their 2007 eponymous 3rd album here is Despite What You've Been Told.

Adam Stephens' slightly strained vocals reminds me of a downtempo Langhorne Slim or a smoother Deertick. Tyson Vogel's driving beats, alternating between country and rock, complete their sound.

And lyrically, man what a track! This is real honest music about two lovers who are not in love, at least not with each other.

You are just a substitute

For the one I hold dear

You know you could be anyone

God forgive my tasteless tongue

Hardly anyone writes about this stuff, and not in such a scathingly honest way. If you're everbeen in this situation I would dare say this is dead. fucking. on.

Yes, I guess I made this bed

But I'll take the sidewalk instead.

Have a great week. Thanks for reading.

SOTW: Jerk It - Thunderheist

[Sorry the song of the week is a day late this week as a result of raging birthday festivities. The song can be streamed from the sidebar. As always I encourage you to check out the artist's website.]

I'm on day 7 of a 12-day bender right now to mark my 25th birthday and this is my song.

With Geo and J-Dizzle in town, Tank (who turned 31 yesterday), Dr. K and I have been setting Bmore on fire. We've hit all out favorite bars and downed plenty of our favorite beverages. What was supposed to be a weekend turned into 4 days. Then 6. At some point I looked at the guys and said:

"this is no longer a bender ... this has become an alcoholic spirit quest"

But I've still trained 5 of the last 7 days. I plan to start working intervals and high volume into my training today. Then this weekend Rez@ andGnar are flying down from Boston for a few more big nights of partying.

Meanwhile the rest of TWSS ripped through every bar in Miami and then placed several runners in the top 50 at the Miami half-marathon despite some serious hangovers.

That's how we do things here.

Enter our song of the week: Jerk It by Canadian duo Thunderheist.

Boom, right away you can feel the muscular fuzzed-out synth hook and the pulsing 4-on-the-floor bass kick. My head is already bobbing by the time Isis comes in rapping. Before she's even spit a couple of verses Grahm Zilla starts putting more layers on the track. Next thing I know I'm in the middle of a packed and raging club scene.

Big, bold and memorable this is definitely the song for this week.

Everybody watchin'

That don't mean we stoppin'

Let them know you worth it

Dust it off and jerk it

Let's get after it this week.

Thanks for reading.

SOTW: Skinny Love - Bon Iver

[The SOTW playlist on the sidebar provides free and legal streaming of songs via Grooveshark.com However, artists and labels can request that their material be removed from the site. The result is that songs can disappear from the playlist after I have selected them. This seems to affect newer and more popular songs more often older more obscure material. The upshot is that tracks may "mysteriously" disappear and reappear as they are removed and I replace them. Bear with me and I'll keep an eye on it. As always you can check out this week's artist on their website.]

I think I said most of what I wanted to say about Bon Iver on last Friday's well-received post on minimalism and experience vs possessions. After I posted it I was surprised to discover that I have actually never posted a SOTW by Bon Iver. Thinking back on it, when I first heard his music in 2009 I remember thinking that his layered-falsetto was too much of an acquired taste to post.

I've since changed my mind.

Bon Iver post out a nice little EP called Blood Bank in 2009 with a cool track called Woods which I almost picked in order to bring you his "latest" stuff. But instead I'm going with one of my personal favorites, Skinny Love, off his 2008 debut For Emma, Forever Ago. The record made several "best of 2008" lists and recent reappeared on many "best of the decade" lists. Though I never did get around to writing a part II of my favorite albums of the decade, this album would be an honorable mention at worst.

Thanks for reading --- have a great week.

SOTW: Holiday - Vampire Weekend

[Just a reminder that the SOTW can now be streamed via the widget on the sidebar]

The preppy New England afro-pop aficionados Vampire Weekend dropped their sophomore album Contra a day early today. Their eponymous debut album was one of my favorite albums of 2008/2009 as well as the perfect soundtrack to my memorable Martha's Vineyard vacation with my friend Evan last summer. I featured the single Oxford Comma off that album as a previous SOTW.

Contra is a more varied offering than VW with lots to enjoy. Despite this those who thought VW was an over-hyped airy rip off of afropop will find little to like on the new disk. But if you liked VW's bright clean arrangements and deceptively simple lyrics you will find some surprising gems on Contra.

While I enjoy the evolution in their sound I'm adding the track Holiday to the SOTW playlist, a track that is most closely resembles their debut material. I picked it because when I hear this song I feel summer. Feel it. I'm back at the Vineyard with Evan driving with the windows down to the beach or the bars. I can see the sun, the sky, the ocean, the girls. I think the TWSS crew going to Miami in 3 weeks to wreck every bar and race in the area knows what I'm talking about.

The year is just starting and while the "Happy New Year" part of January is fading fast I'm still taking aim. I'm setting my sights for the middle of the summer. I'm launching myself into this year. I'm not optimistic or even particularly happy right now (I think the current banner clearly reflects this) but I can imagine a time a time in a few months when I'm fit, tan, warm and happy. Racing bikes, hangin' outside and drinking in life.

Maybe.

But if I wait for a Holiday

Could it stop my fear?

To go away on a summer's day

Never seemed so clear

Thanks for reading.

SOTW: Little Secrets - Passion Pit

[Just a reminder that the SOTW can now be streamed via the widget on the sidebar. You can find more about this band and buy their music here.]

So I'm going to break with SOTW tradition and repeat an artist. Actually I'm going to repeat an artist only a few weeks after first posting them. Little Secrets by Passion Pit.

I love this band. I love this album. I love this song.

I'm calling that this song will be my MGMT's Time To Pretend for 2010. Both positive and decadent with a HUGE sampled and synth-drenched sound.

Have you ever felt so goddamn strong?

Hell yes. This is the song I needed to hear this year. And then the children come in shouting:

Let this be our little secret

no one needs to know were feeling

higher and higher and higher

higher and higher and higher

Let's all be ballers in 2010.

Odds and Ends: YOU can stream the SOTW AT WORK!

So, I'm real excited about this update to my blog layout. There are some people who really dig the SOTW but most people read this blog at work and can't watch the YouTube videos I post.

Problem solved kids.

I added a widget on the sidebar that allows you to stream the Song Of The Week via the sidebar from a website I use called Grooveshark. Let me know if this is still blocked at your work but I think I'm going to stick with this since it's much easier than find/formatting a YouTube video each week.

I threw some tracks up there from Pheonix's acclaimed 2009 release Wolfgang Amadeus Pheonix as a test to kick off the year.

Thanks for Reading

SOTW: Better Things - Passion PIt

I heard this band in a cell phone commercial about a month ago that uses their track "sleepyhead". Along with Matt and Kim in a Bicardi commercial and The Sounds in a Geico commercial this is the 3rd band I've learned about via commercial.

I've also bought none of the products in these commercials.

Anyway, bounce your head to this track. Happy Holidays!

SOTW: Dan Reeder - Havana Burning

Damn. What a great weekend. Halloween was a blast, with great costumes including Dr. K (Abe Lincoln), Koshy (Troy Palumalu) and Zero, Elf and Brennan (Sigmund, Freud and White Tiger). My personal favorite goes to Alyssa for her fully functional Franzia box.

Of course we can't forget the great NYC Marathon performance by Mel who powered through an off day with a smile on her face. Or the absolutely amazing 12th place (3rd Americana) finish by Chrissy who was blazing across the finish line with a 2:44 at about the same time as I was shuffling around my room looking for pants so I could get to aikido. Puts one's life in harsh perspective eh?

Well since it's Monday and it's back to work. Hopefully these tracks will help ease the feeling of disorientation on the first day of daylight savings as you drive to work in the sunlight and watch the sun start to set at 3:30.

A couple of weeks ago Pandora started playing some songs by Dan Reeder on one of my more folksy stations. I loved his simple melodies, creative lyrics and vocal delivery. Here is a tri of his songs:

To me, there's something profound about his nonsense topics the 50-some year-old expatriot living in Germany chooses. The details are crisp enough to be rich while the message (is there is one) is left up to listeners interpretation. His voice and guitar playing aren't flashy but rather perfectly suited for his style - an easy resonate voice and clean guitar picking. You can find his work on the Oh Boy Records label.

I find myself humming his stuff a lot lately, especially this section from Havana Burning:

And if I had a pistol
I could join a revolution
Just like Che
Imagine me
Hunkered down low in the sugarcane
Watching Havana burning

Looks like a nice cool dry week ahead of us - great weather to get some training in. Have a great week and I'll see everyone this weekend at HOF5: Dead Man Riding.

SOTW: Animal Collective - My Girls

As I promised I am actually back to blogging. It's fun to get back in the swing of it and I already have 2 other posts lined up for this week. But since it's Monday it's time for another song of the week!

I stumbled across another synth-drenched gem on inter-tubes recently by Animal Collective. The Baltimore born and raised quartet just released their 8th studio album in 2009 titled Merriweather Post Pavilion. From the album notes the band had this to say about the title:

Merriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor music venue in a place called Symphony Woods in Columbia, Maryland. It was designed by Frank Gehry in the 1960's, and they've been having concerts there from 1967 up through today. We used to go to shows there while growing up and have fond memories of times spent on the lawn. For most of the time we've been playing together, both in Animal Collective and the years before, we've tried to make music that would be deserving of an amazing outdoor listening experience. As both a name and a place, Merriweather Post Pavilion represents this for us.

From that album check out My Girls:

This video trips balls and I love the dense electronic sound on this track. Watching these guys groove and bounce to their track is infectious. And while it's no MGMT's "Time To Pretend" (my favorite new song I've heard this year) the lyrical content is simple and meaningful. It reads like a poem:

There isn't much that I feel I need
A solid soul and the blood I bleed
But with a little girl, and by my spouse,
I only want a proper house

I don't care for fancy things
Or to take part in the freshest wave,
But to provide for mine who ask
I will, with heart, on my father's grave

On my father's grave
(On your father's grave)

I don't mean to seem like I
Care about material things,
Like a social status,
I just want
Four walls and adobe slats
For my girls

Thanks for reading. Let's kick this week off right.

SOTW: The Mountain Goats - This Year

It's been a long year. Maybe not so much worse than others but sometimes things can just seem a little much.

I know people have lost jobs this year, been injured, been rejected by schools, been dumped, been deployed in the military, and moved away.

With those things in my mind I came across this song on the radio and the refrain is just perfect:

"I am going to make it through this year if it kills me!"

Let's push things forward and live everyweek like it's shark week. DBAP and GYBL.

SOTW: Matt and Kim - Daylight

Hey, first post in a while. Enjoy this little gem from Matt and Kate that I hear on the Bicardi Mojito commercial that's playing now. Enjoy:

SOTW: Architecture in Helsinki - Like It Or Not

Hey everyone. Pretty busy at work this week but hope you enjoy this SOTW I came across when I was trying to decide between a track from MSTRKRFT and Mates of State. I ended up liking this one better and so here it is: Like It Or Not by Architecture in Helsinki. Thanks for reading.

SOTW: Langhorne Slim - Rebel Side of Heaven

Hey Everyone. It was good weekend of racing up in Philly last weekend w/Tank and the rest of the Kelly Benefits/ LSV team. Updates and pictures to follow this week but let me say right now that green apple flavored powergel tastes like sour piss - never buy it much less put it in your mouth.

Meanwhile while I was racing up in Philly Team TWSS crushed the Cherry Blossom 10M down in DC. I'm very proud of them as we once again showed that we don't run we run this shit.

It was a great weekend for many of us and since it's Moday again it's time to introduce the SOTW. This week I picked Rebel Side of Heaven by Langhorne Slim off his eponymous April 2008 release. Here it is:

I had heard of Langhorne Slim last summer when WTMD was given him a lot of publicity just before he was going to play at one of their free concerts in Mt. Vernon. I didn't make it to the show but I found his stuff just last week on a coworker's iTunes library and checked it out. It's great stuff!

Despite hailing from Brooklyn, NY Langhorne (Sean Scolnick) has a great gritty folk sound that reminds me of some of the other artists I've gotten into in the last year such as The Wood Brothers, Ryan Bingham and Deer Tick. The horns and piano add nice color to the track but even if it were just an acoustic chart this song would be a win with it's big shout along lyrics and foot-stomping beat.

And though we have sinned
All of our lives
We ain't going to hell
We're going to the rebel side of heaven.

Have a great week everyone. Thanks for reading.

SOTW: Jens Lekman - You Are The Light

Sweeds seem to be popular with me this year. This week's SOTW is called Into the light by the Australia-based Swedish artist Jens Lekman off his 2004 debute When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog.

In this single Jens does a great job of interpreting the pop sound of the 1970s. The horns, harmonicas and hand claps are right on. The horns in particular sound a little brash and marching bandesque by comparison with today's aesthetics but props to Jens for going for a more authentic sound. I think it works as a contrast vocals both musically and lyrically. Musically his voice has a subdued and calm quality that balancing out the pop of the horns. His lyrics are definitely modern with just a little bit more abstraction than you would expect in 70s pop music.

All in all a great track with an enjoyably goofy video. Something about the marching band both visually and musically recall Sargent Pepper for me.

Race report and more spring break stories to follow this week. Thanks for reading!

SOTW: Heartbeats Double Feature

Hi everyone. I'm back from a week in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina with the UW Cycling Team and the ISCorp Cycling Team. Lots and lots of stories and pics to follow this week. Highlights include streaking, 12M climbs, 40+ mph descents, lots of mechanicals, crashes (not me thankfully), Thunderdome fights, margaritas, ice cold streams, an ugly jersey contest, a facial hair contest and mid-ride PBRs.

But before going into all that I wanted to start off the week right (if a bit late) with a special double edition of the the SOTW. This week I'm giving you not one but TWO version the song Heartbeats. The first video is the original version by Swedish band The Knife. The second video is a cover by Jose Gonzales. As sometimes happens when a (relatively) big name artisit covers a smaller artist the cover (which most people assume to be the original) becomes more popular that the original. But I'll let you decide which one you like better. Here the is original by The Knife to start:

The skateboarders in original are pretty sweet and strangely hypnotizing to watch. I've been into synth lines lately so I dig the big electronic sounds coupled with Karin Dreijer Andersson voice which I find slightly reminiscent of Bjork. A very cool sound. Now here's Jose Gonzales' cover:

I think Jose Gonzales does a great job of covering this track. It's a great performance on its own but the fact that he was able to extract such a tranquil idea from the energy of the original adds another significant level of enjoyment to the piece. Visually, cover offers a similar parallel with just a simple live stage setup in contrast to the motion and effects of the original.

When I play the piano covers are one of my favorite things to play. As a piano player they're a necessity since there isn't that much pop music written for the piano (you get tired of Elton and Billy REAL fast). But beyond that it's lots of fun to play with ideas, slow songs down, speed them up, change the groves, write new melodies - you can cook up some crazy stuff.

Anyway, I think this is a great pairing of videos. Visually and musically they offer nice variations on a theme and has given me an idea to try something similar next week. I hope you enjoy!

Lastly, thanks everyone so much for reading and commenting lately. This blog has been getting 20+ hits a day for the last couple of months. It's been fun to write and your comments make it even more enjoyable! Hopefully I've gotten you through more than a few slow afternoons at your job.

SOTW: Sufjan Stevens - Chicago

I hope everyone enjoyed our first weekend of spring weather. I was out and about and spent a lot of time kicking it with old friends from high school. One of the guys I even know from all the way back to kindergarten! That's 19 years!

So in honor of old friends from my hometown as well as the warm spring weather this week's SOTW offering is a song called Chicago by Sufjan Stevens off his 2005 release Illinois. The album is the 2nd in what is ostensibly a 50-album project Sufjan claims (with varying degrees of seriousness) will consist of an album for each state.

It's an intersting idea but I doubt that anyone could a good enough grasp of the zietgiest of all 50 state to write an album about each. At leasst not a sincere, thoughtful album like Sufjan's first two albums. Still, I think he should keep it up as long as he's producing quality material like this.

I hope you enjoy it.

Song Of The Week: MGMT - Time To Pretend

This week's musical offering comes to you from MGMT off their 2007 Oracular Spectacular. They're a little bigger in Europe than in the US so you might not have heard of them though they made the 40 album charts in 2008. If you've heard them at all you're probably most familiar with the bouncy hook from their single Kids. But I'm a little more into the cut I chose for this week - Time To Pretend. When I go in for electronic music it's gotta be way over the top so when the bass synth came in about 30s in I was down with this track. Throw in the hedonistic pop-culture worshiping lyrics and you've got a great track. Enjoy!

I know I can't seem to STFU about the guy but Lance Armstrong tweeted that he used MGMT as warm up music during a stage of the ToC :)

UPDATE 03/03/09:

Seriously hooked on this song. I wanted to post they lyrics:

I'm feeling rough
I'm feeling raw
I'm in the prime of my life.

Let's make some music
Make some money
Find some models for wives.

I'll move to Paris
Shoot some heroin
And fuck with the stars.

You man the island
And the cocaine
And the elegant cars.

This is our decision
To live fast
And die young.

We've got the vision,
Now let's have some fun.

Yeah, it's overwhelming,
But what else can we do?

Get jobs in offices,
And wake up for the morning commute.

Yes!

SOTW: Sigur Rós - Gobbledigook

As promised the song of the week is still going strong. This week's selection come from Iceland's Sigur Rós. The track is called Gobbledigook and is off their well-received 2008 release Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, which in case you are not one of the 300,000 people in the world who speak Icelandic translates to "With Buzzing In Our Ears We Play Endlessly".





Sigur Rós is one of the few groups who sing in a foreign language I don't speak and I still enjoy. A few others in this category include Manu Chao, Ladysmith Black Mumbaza and Lil' Wayne.

This song is fun in and of itself but I've written up some instructions for maximum enjoyment of this songs exuberance and silliness.

1. Wait for summer. Preferably a Friday.
2. Get stuck in traffic on your way home.
3. Roll down the windows, max out the bass and put this song on
4. Start pounding on baseline on the steering wheel with both hands
5. Sing the "Lalalas" as loud as possible.
6. Ignore but treasure everyone else's reactions.