Reason # 465 Why They Might Be Giants are Indie Geniuses

#465. TMBG makes brilliant songs on the spot.

Case in point: The Venue Songs. A set of original songs they wrote for each venue they played in during their 2004 tour. Here’s to you John and John!

This one’s for the House of Blues. Question of the day: did this launch the PC guy’s career? :

Reason # 423 Why I like Facebook

423. Friend Farming.

It’s a simple concept really. It’s not just who you know, but who your friends know. With each new connection, you have new opportunities to find people you forgot about.

You see, the problem with looking for friends is that when you click on that “Find Friends” link, it’s like an automatic mind freeze. You forget every name you thought of looking up.  Hours later, you’ll be doing something completely different when all of a sudden you’ll think, “Oh! I wonder if [insert name here] is on Facebook. Mental note to check when I’m back online.” Of course, the thought vanishes the second you try to look for Insert Name Here.

Enter Friend Farming: Forget the friend search altogether, piggy back and your friends’ friend lists and memory problems are nill. What’s more, Facebook facilitates friend farming, with their dozens of friend suggestions.

I’m on a mission to connect with every last person I have ever known. That one kid who…um…well, there was that one person who….well, either way, thank you Facebook, for making my dreams come true.

New Music Spotlight: Chief

Chief just released a two-song single (can that even be called a single? Maybe we should be calling it a duo). To be honest, I had never heard of Chief…and got my first glimpse from the Indie Spotlight podcast.  At it’s foundation, it’s Bob Dylan with an amp. It’s even a little bit Allman Brothers meets Blind Melon, with a little Grant Lee Buffalo thrown in. At the very least, it’s Indie Rock with emotion.

Here, try it out for yourself:

http://www.thefader.com/2009/11/20/chief-mighty-proud-mp3/

Take up the Indie cause – It’s for the children!

We the Indie Music fans of the world have a duty.  The world we’re leaving for our children is in terrible peril! While the media has pumped us full of Save he Whales, Save the O-Zone, and Save the world from the likes of John and Kate, there is a much more threatening evil on our doorstep.

Yes Indie Citizens…I’m talking about carbon copy, teeny-bop, pop.

I’m talking about the Jonas Brothers. I’m talking about Hannah Montana…or Miley Cyrus…or Hannah Montana…oh whatever. I’m talking about The Cheetah Girls! Yes. It’s horrible. And it’s threatening to lead our children down the path of musical starvation, turning them into Star whatever point whatever and KIIS FM  zombies who won’t know the difference between a good song and a radio jingle!

In the same way that my father saved me from Debbie Gibson, Maddonna, Tiffany, Milli Vanilli, and Vanilla Ice with the Beatles…I believe we should all fight the mainstream music maleficence take and introduce our kids to good music. Music that doesn’t feature just 3 power chords. Music that doesn’t feature “jaded” in the lyrics . Yes, music that doesn’t suck.

Let me help get you started. Here are some songs that have gone over like the Berlin Wall on my kids:

• Mates of State – My Only Offer. My kids love this song. EVERY one of them, ranging from 8 years old to 4, even the 6 month old likes it.
• Architecture in Helsinki: That Beep: This song has been so requested at our house that I’ve almost had to hide the CD.
• Of Montreal: Brush, Brush, Brush. Ok, I don’t care that this song is off the soundtrack for the weirdest kids show on TV. Yo Gabba Gabba has the Teletubbies and Poobah beat for psychotic mental trip, and truth be told, I really can’t stomache the show, but this song is cool. And Of Montreal is one of the indie-est Indie bands on the planet.
• They Might Be Giants. (see video below). You can pick just about anything from John and John. Their music is fun and wacky, and they even do kid music. I’ve actually been listening to their kid stuff for years with my kids, and let me tell you: they sure beat Raffi! In fact, you don’t even have to buy a CD to get your kids started. Go right over to Itunes and subscribe to the Friday Night Family Podcast (or click here to watch it in “syndicate”). Other great TMBG hits your kids will love: “Experimental Film,” “The Mesopotamians,” “Man It’s So Loud in Here,” and even the classic “Birdhouse in Your Soul”. Below is a ditty from their new Kiddie Album.

• Rodrigo and Gabriela – Diablo Rojo. Pretty much anything by this duo will make your kids dance.

• Robert Bobbert / Apples in Stereo – We Are Superheroes. You can count on just about anything from Apples in Stereo. Robert Bobbert is the lead singer and has done his own stuff (like the link above).

• Dan Zane and Friends – Hello. Ok, this guy really IS a kiddie musician, but this song was featured in a recent Coke Ad, and it’s very cool. (sorry, no download link).
• Dogs Die in Hot Cars – Godhopping. Just a cool song all around. Fast paced, and it talks about children in poor countries…so bonus points for teaching kids social responsibility.
• 8 1/2 Souvenirs – Happy Feet. This is a great swing outfit. Their stuff is…well…happy.
• Forro in the Dark – Asa Branca (Featuring David Byrne). Brillian brazilian beats. Used to be a legit free download on music.download.com, I’m sure it still is somewhere.
• Guster – Amsterdam. Pretty much anything of this album (Let’s Keep it Together), is great. In fact, I think this album is one of the best (if not THE best) indie albums of all time. Yes. I just said that.
• Oingo Boingo – We Close Our Eyes. Come on, it’s Halloween. I had to include something from Boingo.

New Music Spotlight: Slow Club

A little bit Mamas and Papas, a little bit Magic Numbers, and a whole heck lot of happy, shiny fun – Those are the best words I can find to describe Slow Club, a Brit outfit that seems to be on the cusp of making a full-fledged indie splash in the U.S.

Here’s a playlist that indie-friend Super Mike’s wife put together with some choice tunes from Slow Club.

You’ll recognize “Sinking, Drinking, Thinking, Feeling” from a Lays Ad…but frankly, these guys are more than just a one-commercial song-hit wonder (Listen Up Ting Tings and The Submarines). They’ve got a frantic folkiness and a pop poppiness that you can’t help but tap a toe to. In fact, think bouncing BP Commercial babies in a smiley, slappy cartoon world.

Their albums are all on import (read: Too expensive) but you can get some on the cheap at Amazon (though word is if you get their Let’s Fall Back in Love EP featuring the Lays Ad song…that the song actually isn’t included. Can someone verify that?).

You can download a free Slow Club Song here and here and here.

Oh…and a big shout out to Dejah (Super Mike’s wife) for clueing me into the band. Here’s her post from one of the shows.

British Beatle Mania

Every 10 years or so, the Beatles do something to make themselves relevant again (It’s not enough that Lennon and McCartney are the singular most prolific and successful song writers of all time). In the 90s, it was the Anthology CDs. In 2000, it was the 27 number 1 hits CD…now…it’s Beatles Rock Band.

Now, this post isn’t about Beatles Rock Band…It’s actually more about Beatles buzz…

I’ve got to say, I like the renewed buzz–before I was an Indie fan, I was a Beatles fan. I was raised on Seargent Pepper, Sexy Sadie, and Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.  Which is why I particularly liked what I found on Spinner.com today — a Beatle’s personality test

Which Beatle Are You? – Spinner

Incidentally…I’m NOT the Walrus…

Malfoy for an Oscar? and Arcade Fire Goes Wild

The Indie Girl and I saw The Half-Blood Prince today, and not to sound cliche, it’s the best Potter movie yet. Even the Indie Girl liked it, and she’s hated the last 3 movies because they’re too dark.

We all know how the movie ends, I’m sure, but I won’t spoil it either way. In fact, Harry Potter movies have gotten to the point that the ending doesn’t really matter anymore, much less the storyline. It’s all about the way the story is produced–the presentation–and so far, we’ve been let down…until now.

The Half-Blood Prince is cinematographic genius (yes, I spelled that right). It’s an amazing work of art in its own right. Even the Indie Girl noticed how amazing the scenes and special effects are. We’ve gone from silly and nice Sorcerer’s Stone to serious, riveting, and what I think should be legitimate Academy Award material in the Half-Blood Prince.  The set up and delivery of every scene is brilliant. Each elicits such emotion. The highs and the lows, the comedy, and the sadness all come with such perfect ebb and flow. And what is more, the acting weaves so perfectly into the feel of the picture–each of the actors down to the girl who plays Luna Lovegood deliver such staggering performances.

Especially Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy. A simply riveting performance. I used to watch the movies for Alan Rickman’s performance, but in this movie, Felton steals it. His inner turmoil, which seemed a little underplayed in the books, comes out in perfect dramatic form. I know it’s cliche that we all want to see that the bad guy isn’t all that bad after all, but Felton does nothing short of reinvent that classic dichotomy of good and bad within an individual.

Yes, I’m saying it, the Half-Blood Prince deserves serious consideration for an Oscar, and Felton deserves a best-actor nod.  And No, I don’t care if I’m alone in that opinion. It’s a brilliant movie.

**

As much as I’m excited about Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are coming to theaters this Fall, I think I’m even more excited about the soundtrack. Arcade Fire re-recorded “Wake Up” for the trailer, and here’s hoping we hear a few more choice accoust selections

U2’s Forgettable Fire or How to become a pop heretic in just one easy blog post

I don’t like U2. Truth be told, I never really have. Maybe it’s because I spent far too much time living in Utah, where I’ve discovered that it must be an FCC regulation that a U2 song must be playing at all times, on at least one station. Maybe it’s because Zooropa really left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m not sure. I just know I really don’t think U2 is that good.

One thing I do know, though, is that U2 has been riding Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby for over 20 years, and every time you hear a U2 song on the radio made after those albums, it’s only because:
It’s U2–and they’re supposed to be best band in the world. They wrote a hand full of hit songs in the 80s and 90s
Call them the best branded rock band since the Beatles. But I digress…

I finally have proof that U2 has been riding its own shirt tails. Forget Discoteque. Forget that Batman Soundtrack Song. Their latest “hit single” is bad. As in “those annoying Yoplait Yogurt girls sitting around talking about how good the yogurt is” BAD.

I’m sure you’ve heard “Magnificent” off their latest album. Radio stations, if you still believe in them, have probably been force-feeding it to you. I haven’t listened to any of the rest of their latest album, and thankfully, I don’t have to. If the hit single is this bad, there’s no sense in listening to the rest. Magnificent is like U2 Unforgettable Fire-Lite. Take all the usual U2 style (the Bono wail, the echoing guitars), and then make it boring. No, make it elevator music. And you’ve got Magnificent. There’s nothing good about this music–it’s rehashed and photocopied, but using a copier that’s on its last leg and running out of ink.

Now, I know this is harsh…and I know that there will be plenty who will call me a heretic (what, insult the gods of the pop pantheon?!). At least by Itunes, it’s off the chart in popularity…

But then again, maybe I’m being too harsh on Bono and the guys. I mean, they HAVE been around a while, and most bands ride their own shirt tails after a good music run. REM lost it when they released Monster, and then somewhere a long the line, we had to endure a nauseating trip to Reno to become a Star. Coldplay just did it with that Ipod song album (yes, I know the title, but I prefer to refer to it in the same way we all refer to that Harry Potter nemesis). Either way, I think it’s time to admit it – U2 is done, or at least, should have been, a long time ago.

Indie Bands You May Not Know About but Should: Great Northern

Haunting. Moving. Great Northern’s sounds are entrancing…like waking Love and Rockets from the dead. Great melodies and stirring guitar riffs. I first caught wind of this band on the IndieFeed: Alternative Rock Podcast.

Check them out on their site

Download two of their songs:

Great Northern – Story

Great Northern – Houses

Indie Adventure: Maryland Day

I like to find some of the underrated or even lesser-known attractions and experiences in an area, and publicize them here as Indie Adventures. They represent the Indie Experience, living life outside the mainstream.

So, why do I consider an event that brings an estimated 8,000 people to?

Because I recently got an email from someone who usually knows everything, and she just barely found out about this event…I’ve been going to it for 3 years now.  Plus, I think it’s cool and it’s got a cadre of free stuff. So it counts.

If you haven’t been to Maryland Day, it’s one of THE best free events of the year in the DC area.

Maryland Day is a one-day event where the university of Maryland throws its doors open to reveal all the fun things that people in academia do (no, dictionaries for translating academ-ish into laymen’s terms not provided). In seriousness though, every department comes out, gives tons of free goodies, and you get a day full of fun…for free.