The Magnetic Fields

Now I don't know much but I do know this- 69 Love Songs is excellent.
I'm not familiar really with any of their other stuff, or know anything really about the band (for instance who is singing for any song...) but I know Stephen Merrit is involved somehow! I'd like to take this moment in time to thank him for this album.
Now here is what you need to know:
69 Love Songs is just what it sounds- 69 songs about love, happy, sad, ironic, whatever. I think I can safely say I enjoy listening to about half of the album which for such a long record is quite good. I'll post the names of my favorites as well as a few videos of my very very favorites!

Pt.1
The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side
Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits
I Think I Need a New Heart
The Book of Love
The One You Really Love
Nothing Matters When We're Dancing
Sweet-Lovin' Man

Pt.2
Asleep and Dreaming

Pt.3
It's a Crime
Busby Berkeley Dreams
I'm Sorry I Love You
The Night You Can't Remember

The Book of Love

Asleep and Dreaming

I'm Sorry I Love You

I encourage you to check out all the rest, too! I'm still wading through all of these songs and I've had the album for a couple years. Here's to my favorite Magnetic Fields song!


A single rose in your garden dwells
Like any rose it's not itself
It is my love in your garden grows
but let's pretend it's just a rose
Well I'm sorry that I love you
It's a phase that I'm going through
There is nothing that I can do
and I'm sorry that I love you
Do not listen to my song
Don't remember it, don't sing along
Let's pretned it's a work of art
Let's pretend it's not my heart...
The rose will fade when summer's gone
The song will fade and I'll be gone
because my heart is dying too
and it's all the same to you

Jeffrey Lewis

I don't know that I've ever mention Mr. Lewis here, but I will now. I saw him open for Dr. Dog last year at The Fox, and he was awesome. He had a few sweet story books that he wrote songs to accompany and sang us away with his bus song. He apparently also illustrated some stuff for John Darnielle thus increasing his awesomeness. Anyway he poses a good question and two even better answers in this illustration.

Pretttttty excellent.

new blog!

Do you love organic chemistry!?
Do you love mechanisms!?
of course you do!
head over to http://molecularmechs.blogspot.com/ and check out some youtube videos I put together!

True Love Will Find You in the End

One of my favorite songs ever written.
True Love Will Find You in the End is a short song written by Daniel Johnston and has been covered by many talented artists since. I don't know what I can say about this song that the song doesn't say for itself. I'll post the covers starting with my favorites.
Daniel Johnston's original-

Beck's cover-

Basia Bulat, of course!

Wilco


I made a play list based on this song, and once I figure out the best way of posting it I will. Enjoy!

Think You Know BB's Discography?

Then take this handy quiz!
http://www.sporcle.com/games/moose14991/basiabulat

Productive Group Work

"However, consider what is missing from interacting via written media—all the information we take in from others that is nonverbal. In a face-to-face conversation, we construct meaning not just from the content of words but also from the gestures, movement, and expressions that our partners or groupmates use. Think about your own behavior when you are talking on the telephone with someone. You may gesticulate and change your facial expressions as you speak and listen, even though the person on the other end of the line can't see you. Even our e-mail habits reflect our need to assign meaning to our words. The use of emoticons (those little smiley faces used within e-mail messages) is widespread. Short message service (SMS) programs used for text messaging and instant messaging routinely include graphical images to represent a range of facial expressions. Receiving these nonverbal signals is important to our understanding each other and may be an important step in learning.
The Neural Basis of Face-to-Face Interactions
Have you ever found yourself caught up in the contagion of a yawn? Perhaps you were sitting in a faculty meeting when a colleague began to yawn. Before you knew it, you were yawning too. You might have noticed or recall from your undergraduate communications course that people who are talking to each other often unconsciously adopt the gestures and body language of each other to synchronize their conversation. You can see this phenomenon at any local gathering place where people are striking up conversations.
This mirroring behavior has roots in the workings of the brain and may be key to how we learn. In the 1980s,
neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti and his colleagues at the University of Parma made a chance discovery..."
(Frey, Fisher, and Everlove )

Now tell me, did this make you yawn, too? I thought it was hilarious.

Frey, Nancy, Douglas Fisher, and Sandi Everlove. "Productive Group Work." (2010): Print.

Top 50: Part IV

20:Artist: Moby

Learned About 'em: From Dad, hah!

Ideas!: Moby was on repeat in my house for several years, but somehow I don't mind that. His mellow electro stuff is generally very enjoyable, good background music. His best known song is probably Extreme Ways which was featured at the end of each “Bourne” movie. Play is his best album, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes electro pop.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee:

19:Artist: Beirut

Learned About 'em: I don't know, maybe eMusic

Ideas!: I love sitting down on a sunny day and listening to Beirut. Very rhythmic, awesome vocal stuff. I don't know how exactly to describe their sound. You cannot understand any lyrics on some songs, but others have really cool lyrics (or half a song is coherent while the other have is incomprehensible) it's all good though. Listen to Elephant Gun and Scenic World.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: They popular because they're different, but they should be because they're talented.

18:Artist: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Learned About 'em: Nate, on the way to school. Every day.

Ideas!: Their two albums Show Your Bones and Fever to Tell are full of catchy Karen O. hooks. It's Blitz is full of new stuff but overall they haven't changed much over the years. It's good music for people who like Karen's voice. Heads Will Roll is probably my favorite song of theirs right now.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Eeeeelongated things are common.

17:Artist: Arcade Fire (Nate is a guest contributor for this section)

Learned About 'em: “Probably eMusic”

Ideas!: NATE-"Funeral is a great album, lots of good songs. It was extremely popular when released making many peoples top lists for the year. My most listened to song is Intervention, a very dramatic organ plays throughout the song which is joined by floating backing vocals halfway into the song."

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: (They're from Montreal, which makes them all the more awesome.)

16:Artist: Iron and Wine

Learned About 'em: Iron and Wine/Calexico, awesome duo

Ideas!: Smooth melodies paired with clever, meaningful lyrics. Iron and Wine front man/song writer Sam Beam writes songs by drawing upon his past and like many of my favorite songwriters focuses heavily on naturalistic themes. My favorite song is probably The Trapeze Swinger, although there are many, many other great songs. I would highly recommend the album In the Reigns for any first time listeners.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I love Iron and Wine, lots.

15:Artist: Heartless Bastards

Learned About 'em: NATE-"eMusic probably because of their name" (I first heard them on a mix of HB and Demetri Martin.)

Ideas!: NATE-"All This Time is the album I've listened the most, specifically the songs All This Time, and Gray. Lead singer Erika Wennerstrom has striking deep vocals that carry many of their songs along with loud guitars. The theme of many of their songs is “lost” and “searching”."

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: (“I'm gonna take everything, everything.”)

14:Artist: Sufjan Stevens

Learned About 'em: eMusic? Achsah? Christmas?

Ideas!: Sufjan is... different. He has a very mellow voice and plays very mellow instruments. He is an ambitious song writer (he claimed he was going to complete a 50 part series, one for each state though thus far he has only done Illinois and Michigan and has recently said he will not complete this series after all. Damn, I really wanted to hear him sing about Delaware.). He is the epitome of indie rock, dresses like it, sings like it, the whole sha-bang. He is from what I understand a pretty religious guy, and released an awesome Christmas album a few years back that is actually enjoyable. My favorite song is definitely Chicago.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Good luck with New York Sufjan!

13:Artist: of Montreal

Learned About 'em: eMusic

Ideas!: These guys are totally wild, and their music videos are only crazier. None of their songs make sense in any kind of literal sense. I wouldn't say I love them but they are interesting to listen to occasionally.Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse is a favorite of mine, enjoy the insane video.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Bah-Bah-Bonkers!

12:Artist: The Mountain Goats

Learned About 'em: Downloaded Sunset Tree

Ideas!: 36 Hudson in the garage. All sorts of junk in the unattached spare room. Dishes in the kitchen sink, new straw for the old broom. Friends who don't have a clue, well meaning teachers. But down in your arms, in your arms. I'm a wild creature. Floor two foot high with newspapers. White carpet thick with pet hair. Half eaten gallons of ice cream in the freezer. New fuel for the sodium flares. I write down good reasons to freeze to death, in my spiral ring notebook. But in the long tresses of your hair, I am a babbling brook.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I am a babbling brook.

11:Artist: blink-182

Learned About 'em: How does anyone learn about Blink-182? I don't know.

Ideas!: Super popular power punk. They are most recognizable for their guitar leads and famous drummer Travis Barker. Most or all of their popular songs seem to be about growing up and dealing with life during the high school/college transition period. They are widely identifiable and thus exceedingly popular.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Not head, 'ead.

The Mountain Goats

I won't pretend to understand much about John Darnielle or his songs but I can say definitively that both are very good.

The Mountain Goats are led by lead singer John Darnielle who often plays solo on guitar and vocals. The vocals are a bit unorthodox in that he doesn't always "sing" per-se, sometimes it borders on spoken verse with music in the background. This seems to really bother some people; if this really bothers you then I suppose you're just going to have to miss out. Sorry.

Darinelle is obviously a pretty intelligent guy as evidenced by a few interviews with him I've read and the depth and cleverness of his lyrics (I'm sure if I knew enough about scales and what not I could tell you they were clever, too.). This in mind separates him from a lot of artists who maybe are good at writing songs but don't have a clear idea on what they believe underneath their lyrics (see popular music).

I haven't ever read much in terms of a biography about Mr. Darnielle but if you listen to any of his music it is pretty evident that he comes from complicated roots. This gives some of his music a bit of what many people I've offered his music to have called a "depressing" twist, but that is not quite right. Darnielle doesn't intentionally write a lot of upbeat and positive songs, but I think it is unfair to describe his music as depressing. Darnielle is simply writing songs as he sees things. I think this is an important distinction that people should consider before judging his music.

A lot of Darnielle's albums are concept albums, or at least the songs share a premise. Most albums also share a common thread in tune and beat as well. This makes it essential to actually listen the whole album, which is not something many of us are used to doing these days with the advent of the iTunes single/YouTube video. I've always advocated listening to music albums at a time, not that I always do- but it can be really cool to sit through a well put together album that lays out a story about a time or place that the author of the album experienced (this is why LP's are awesome).

I thought about reviewing all of The Mountain Goats albums that I have, but as I mentioned earlier they are mostly concept albums and I think it would be somewhat foolish to try to "rate" what Darinelle was trying to put to song. So I am going to somewhat arbitrarily recommend several songs from my favorite Mountain Goats albums.

Sunset Tree-
You or Your Memory
Broom People
This Year
Dilaudid
Dance Music
Dinu Lipatti's Bones
Up The Wolves
Lion's Teeth
Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod
Magpie
Song for Dennis Brown
Love Love Love
Pale Green Things

Get Lonely-
Wild Sage
New Monster Avenue
Half Dead
Get Lonely
Maybe Sprout Wings
Moon Over Goldsboro
In the Hidden Places
Song for Lonely Giants
Woke Up New
If You See Light
Cobra Tattoo
In Corolla

Heretic Pride-
Sax Rohmer#1
San Bernardino
Heretic Pride
Autoclave
New Zion
So Desperate
In the Craters on the Moon
Lovecraft in Brooklyn
Tianchi Lake
How to Embrace a Swamp Creature
Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident
Sept 15th 1983
Michael Myers Resplendent

I think you get the idea... listen to it album at a time and you will appreciate it much more!
However I suppose until you get an album this will have to tide you over.

Thanks Sam

Sam Cooke sums it up with this little tune, except for the Frankenstein bit. Hilarious though.

Covering: Connect the Dots

Covers are excellent. I really love hearing different variations on old songs; every time you hear something new in the song that makes you think differently. Some of my favorite songs are covered such as True Love Will Find You In the End and I Was Young When I Left Home, which is where this small whirlwind of cover madness started. (Links go to song downloads) I was riding somewhere in the Sub with Mom when the Antony Hegarty song I Was Young When I Left Home came on via the iPod. Mom says "auugh".
Me:"What?"
Mom:"I've just heard this song so many times before." (She listens to Dark Was the Night far more than she should so I figured she was talking about that)
Me:"Maybe if you listened to something other than DWTN this wouldn't happen.." Mom:"No, this song is ancient, I'm just tired of it."

Aha.. Here I was thinking this song was an original done by Antony. I was afraid it might have been written by some quasi-bad folk singer a hundred years ago but after some quick wiki researching it turns out it was written by none other than Bob Dylan! Hurray! We've found the origin and it's by one of the best folk cover writers ever!
But wait. What did Wikipedia actually say?
"Dylan's own reinterpretation of the traditional "Nine Hundred Miles"
Gasp! Dylan covered it!
Now this is exciting, lets trace it back a little farther.
Another Google search later and I found that "Nine Hundred Miles" was unsurprisingly done by Woody Guthrie, one of Dylan's inspirations.
What was surprising was a Google search for "900 Miles" which turned up another familiar artist. Odetta.
So here is a little chart of where we are so far.

And now for something seemingly unrelated.
Neko Case totally rocks, we all know that. But she released a live recording from three shows (1 Chicago, 2 Toronto) in 2004 called The Tigers Have Spoken. Aside from her hilarious banter about giving tigers new habitat by feeding them children she recorded this gem. I was curious about who else did this excellent song so I checked out the Wiki and found that it was also sung by one of my favorite singers, Sam Cooke.
After some more quick Wikipedia research I discovered that This Little Light of Mine is actually a gospel song that was made popular during the civil rights movement. So it should come as no surprise that it was gloriously emanated from who else but Odetta!

Now in the course of about 4 hours I went from tracking one hundred year old song across four artists down to Odetta, and just afterward I tracked another more than likely older than one hundred year old song across three fantastic artists once again down to Odetta.

Click chart to enlarge

I guess if we have one thing to learn from this it's that Odetta knew how to pick a tune.

Whatcha Doin'?

Oh Hobbes, if only there were a few more people like you.

Addendum

BB in Montreal!

A quick word

I thought I'd quickly mention the changes in the blog name and URL, hopefully it hasn't thrown you off (of course if you're reading this that seems unlikely). I changed it mostly because it seems more relevant to the subject matter (music) and to pay some homage to my inspiration. I'd also like to point out my new blog What the what? which is more or less about stupid inventions. Without further ado, Basia Bulat.

Top 50: Part III

30:Artist: The Magnetic Fields
Learned About 'em: eMusic
Ideas!: What is not to love about Stephen Merrit? He amassed an album called 69 Love Songs which is indeed, 69 love songs. I began to download them off of eMusic but really 69 songs is quite a few so I turn to alternative means. I've always, always, always been a huge fan of Book of Love and so should the world , other gems include Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side, Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits and others.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: So long as you like kinky cool sounds and whack lyrics, let's get magnetic!
29:Artist: The Killers
Learned About 'em: All over the radio, all the time.
Ideas!: Probably the most popular band in the lower 29. They are catchy, have lyrics that don't make a ton of sense, and are best enjoyed at a high volume, all keys to popular bands. Brandon Flowers (lead singer) said that Sam's Town would be "one of the best albums people would remember 20 years from now; Brandon Flowers is crazy. I used to listen to them much more than I do now. Times a'changin'.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Are you a fan of loud stuff that doesn't make sense? Yes? The Killers are for you!
28:Artist: Lunasa
Learned About 'em: Gaaabe
Ideas!: Mellow Irish flute and stuff. Very pretty and very enjoyable. instrumental music can really be a blessing when you need some time alone to think, a lot of people write it off but I think it has many positive attributes. I saw Lunasa play in Avendale a few years back, I don't know if these guys are still together. Worth a listen!
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Sooth your soul.
27:Artist: Super Furry Animals
Learned About 'em: Probably N8
Ideas!: Whoaaa different from Lunasa. Psychedelic crazy pop rock. I don't know a lot about them, but I enjoy listening to them occasionally. Their stuff is pretty wild, I like Rings around the World and It's Not the End of the World?
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Fun stuff to drive around blastin'.
26:Artist: Interpol
Learned About 'em: nate
Ideas!: As one of my friends once said: “Interpol is like one long cool song.” I could only pick out two of their songs (No Exit and Evil) but I really like all of their songs. The music itself is pretty dark and scary.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Don't let my lackluster review frighten you away!
25:Artist: Neko Case
Learned About 'em: Nate
Ideas!: Neko is unexpectedly from Tacoma, Washington. I always image her growing up down South with a deep and beautiful voice like hers. According to Wikipedia she left home when she was 15 and began playing music, 15! She has several albums, my favorite of which is Blacklisted. I'd really like to see her play live someday, but shows are pretty expensive- the price of talent, I'll have to just suck it up. Neko is also a part of The New Pornographers, more on them later.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I love your silvery voice.
24:Artist: Yo La Tengo
Learned About 'em: I don't know.
Ideas!: I don't have too much to say about YLT. My favorite album is I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (Mr. Tough, Beanbag Chair, Black Flowers) I enjoy them in small doses but too much at once can be overwhelming and drive you slightly insane. Overall I think I would describe them as relaxing though.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: To go off on my own Let me be to go home I feel like going home
23:Artist: Andrew Bird
Learned About 'em: eMusic
Ideas!: I love Andrew Bird. He plays all sorts of interesting instruments, namely strings and adds a ton of ingenious lyrics to his songs. We share an attitude towards society, at least in the song Measuring Cups “So put your backpack on your shoulder, be the good little soldier.” which endears me to his music. I think his best album is Armchair Apocrypha but that is most likely because it was the first one of his I got, regardless it is excellent. I have got to see him play live sometime, I imagine he puts on a very good show.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Excelllllent!
22:Artist: The Polyphonic Spree
Learned About 'em: EMUZIK
Ideas!: Funky electro-pop. Most of the stuff of theirs that I know is very upbeat and invigorating, but then I can only remember two of their songs right now. (Reach for the Sun and Hanging Around the Day). I'm sure the rest of it is too.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: “Just follow the day... follow the day and reach for the Sun!”
21:Artist: The National
Learned About 'em: Nate, I think.
Ideas!: Goodness gracious, 21? I would have pegged them higher. Anyway The National has a sound that I'm having trouble describing. Imagine someone is narrating your quasi-depressing inner city life black and white movie and that may be The National. I think they're from Brooklyn or SoHo or something, somewhere appropriate. They just released a new album which I of course haven't listened to yet, undoubtedly it's as good as Alligator and Boxer. Another band I'd like to catch live.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: We're out looking for astronauts...

Just two more installments!

I'm so depressed

"Oh lord, I'm so depressed. Help me somebody I need some rest." - Abner Jay

So I was in Montreal this past weekend for the jazz festival (which was awesome), and I happen to catch Basia twice. The whole experience was terrific and I'll write about it later, now I want to talk about her cover of "I'm so depressed" by Abner Jay.

The fact that Basia was playing the jazz fest at all was a bit strange, only because she doesn't really play jazz. Maybe that's why she chose to play a sort of jazz-blues. In any case it was delightful.

I have an Abner Jay album although admittedly I haven't listened to it much. The album I have, "One Man Band", includes "I'm so depressed" which has some interesting, clever, and amusing banter in the beginning about cigarette butts.

"You know they're going to stop making them king size cigarettes and start making them queen size ones because it's got a bigger butt."
"Do you know why elephants don't smoke? Because they can't get their butts in the ashtray!"
The song is Classic blues.

Link to download-



Basia really crushed this cover. She really worked her voice inflections into the song and made it all her own. Standing up there with a ukulele-like instrument she delivered trembling vocals ("I need somebody to hold my hand.") which at times erupted with powerful passion ("Will there be someone, someone to wipe. Dry the tears from my eyes?) It was really incredible.

I had never heard her do this cover before so I'm assuming it's pretty new. It once again showcased that heartbreaking side of her music that makes songs like "Before I Knew" and "In the Night" that much better.

"Oh lookin' back across my life, Oh lord I'm so depressed."

EDIT:
Check out these tube's for some ok recordings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=satbvYy73QU <-BB Hillside festival
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0GKsiHF20o <-BB Montreal JazzFest (day 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILPBxkiYyLA <-BB Montreal JazzFest (day 3)

Women in Alt. Music

I know the title isn't great but it gets the job done. I made a Sporcle quiz today, see how you do!
http://www.sporcle.com/games/moose14991/altmusic

Basia's New CD (after having heard it)

It has finally arrived! I pre-ordered (sort of) Basia's CD via dropping by the local record store Albums on the Hill the day before the CD was released and was able to pick it up the next afternoon. Unfortunately I was unable to actually listen to the album until the evening but I was finally about to toss myself onto my bed, plug my busted headphones in and absorb the album in full. I have been thinking about the CD for awhile now, I haven't really been able to determine a great opinion of it as of yet.
--Several months later--
This review never really got underway, but I do remember picking up the CD for the first time like it was yesterday. Since the release of this album I saw Basia play in Philly and have had a much longer time to develop a taste for the music. It is wonderful.

1. Go On
Here's a love song about what seems like lost love. Not the kind of lost love that comes to mind first, it seems like the other party has done something different than "wrong". There is a violin throughout the song to creating an ongoing flow and drums giving it a little punch. This is the most popular Basia song in the past 6 months on Last.fm

2.Run
I think this a travelin' song. "When I took myself far and away from everyone that I knew..." Like most Basia songs it has a hint of sadness and longing. "there's nothing more I want than to be followin' you."

3.Sugar and Spice
Sad times for Basia. This song is about regretting a past confident of sorts, and realization of making an error and moving on. "Oh, oh, oh how I've done myself in."

4.Gold Rush
This song was a pre-release for the album and it was joyous and exciting. In many interviews Basia talks about her childhood dream of visiting the Yukon, that's just what this song is about. The gold rush took place of course in the Yukon and left ghost towns after it left. Some have persevered such as Dawson City (Basia's first mosh pit!) who she personally thanks in her liner notes. The song itself is one of more upbeat ones on the album, it rocks.

5.Heart of My Own
Title track! This is one of my favorite tracks because of how well it showcases Basia's awesome voice. Hearing her dive into the chorus the first time live was incredible. The song is about choosing your way in life, apparently Basia isn't really into the idea of being a mother or a housemaid. There is a kick drum throughout the song giving it a steady and stable feel.

6.Sparrow
Ok, this is my favorite song on the album. The album features Basia alone with a uke. In Philly she played this song sans a microphone, the result was just Basia, a ukulele, and this beautiful song. "let your bird go lost, I will bring her back to you in spring, she won't change at all, let your sparrow fall to what might be..."

7.If Only You
Another song regretting love. "I tried before, I wanted more, no matter what you had." "If only you... would have the heart to me back." (Who wouldn't!?!) "The trouble is I still can't choose who I want by my side..." Ah, I see.

8.I'm Forgetting Everyone
3:25 of characteristic Basia.

9.The Shore
This song is played mostly on a "hammered harp" which was born in Philadelphia! "Even though the thoughts behind, I came just to remind you I love you so... I love you so." Beautifully Basia. I can't really do this song justice with a description, listen to it!

10.Once More, For the Dollhouse
"We swore to no strangers, now they've crowded up our hearts.." Love, disconnect, dreams of love. "Your dreams are so quiet, don't you need me anymore.." I think we all know that feeling. Sad song.

11.Walk You Down
"You know devotion is hard to keep, but it's there every time that you're near me." I think this song is about that uneasy tension between two people with a history. "If you're not too proud, would you walk me down?" I wish this song answered that question.

12.If It Rains
"You can leave your friends where you found them, for your soul is still a mountain." Sometimes it is easier just to run, good thing I can fly. Basia seems to use part of this album to tell her story about past friends and moving on from home, which is precisely what was going on with my life when this album came out. This song brought it all home. As Basia puts it; "sometimes it's ok to be sad."

Terrific work Basia, see you in August!

Why we love Basia

This is an attempt to explain why we here at UVPig have a seemingly never ending love for Basia Bulat.

1.) The Introduction
Basia was introduced to me by my good friend Achsah Joseph. Actually, Achsah was certainly my best friend at the time of this wonderful introduction. She created a wonderful little mix-CD for my favorite made up holiday, Daffodil Day. The Pilgriming Vine was the second song on the CD (and the second song Basia played at her concert in Philly!) and will always be one of my favorites. Whenever I missed AQ during my senior year (she had gone off to college) I would play that song, with 134 plays it is by far the most played of any of my Basia collection. There's nothing like daffodils in the spring time.

2.) Canadian
When I was young my family would always take summer vacations to Canada. My father had some sort of fascination with avoiding people and warm temperatures at all costs. Every August for 7 or 8 years we would take off in the station wagon or the Jetta and spend a few weeks in Nova Scotia, Quebec, New Brunswick or some combination of those provinces. Because of these frequent trips I developed most of my cherished childhood memories in places such as Kouchibouguac and Kejimkujik national parks, St. Andrews in Nova Scotia, and the serene Milford House. How is this connected to Basia? I think the connection is subtle. No we didn't have strong connections to the music of the area beyond the Macmasters and A Taste of the Maritimes. I did develop a strong connection with the outdoors and the sea (not to mention the poutine), many of Basia's songs deal with nature and Canada's beautiful landscapes which I I myself fell in love with as a child.

3.) Oh, My Darling
"We swam in the river, and sang with the birds. Gave away our hearts before we knew what they were." - I Was a Daughter
I'm not going to pretend I know exactly what Basia means by this, but it sounds eerily familiar to my dreamy summer romance. In fact Oh, My Darling was more or less a soundtrack to what was undoubtedly my favorite summer in recent memory. The album is just filled with genuine heartbreaking love songs that I've always been able to connect to personally (especially once the summer ended and it was time to head west). Oh, My Darling is everything I could ever want to express about that period of my life.

4.) Basia
All of this is without mentioning Basia herself. She has deep hallowing vocals, plays instruments ranging from the ukulele to the autoharp, and connects to all the music she performs. When you listen to Basia you get the feeling that she is just singing her heart out every time. She tours all the time and rarely charges ticket prices over $10. Her band includes her brother, "Allison Wonderland", and "Holly Rancher" (who pens her own fantastic blog). They drive across continents in a van together and play in beautiful little venues (mostly churches). I had the pleasure of meeting Basia at in Philadelphia, she was very personable and accessible, it was a real pleasure. Just seeing Basia is enough to make you smile.

I hope this clears up the reason for Basiacentricity here on UVPig. Don't forget to buy Heart of My Own and see Basia play for free at Summerstage August 1st in Central Park NY!

So maybe I wasn't paying attention in 2008

These are the terrific results of my knowledge of 2008 songs (click on to enlarge), looks like I need to get back with it. Unfortunately I'm guessing my 2009 scores would be even worse.

You can try via Sporcle.

Top 50: Part II

40:Artist: Moonbabies
Learned About 'em: Probably on eMusic.
Ideas!: My favorite album is Moonbabies at the ballroom, really cool stuff. I haven't heard about them ever from somebody else so I'm assuming they're not terribly popular, but what do I know? They use keyboards and organs and glockenspiels all over the place, who could ask for more!
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: War on Sound is a very solid track, let's all listen to it now.
39:Artist: Coldplay
Learned About 'em: How does one learn about Coldplay?
Ideas!: There's not much to say about them, they became extremely popular after releasing Parachutes (which included the song Yellow. They've since gone on to sell out stadiums across the world and make oodles of money playing their brand of indie-rock. I'm still upset with Viva La Vida or whatever the album is actually called, plagiarism is wrong! Didn't they go to, oh I don't know, middle school!?!
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Some solid stuff, though I actually prefer some covers by the Vitamin String Quartet more than the originals.
38:Artist: The Format
Learned About 'em: Through a friend, Ms. Andersen.
Ideas!: This was the first band I ever saw play in concert at the Troc in Philly. They're named after the idea of bands today being “cookie-cutter” formatted, and while this band isn't in the same vein as stuff like Nickelback and whatever else is popular it isn't exactly cutting edge.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: The lead singer Nate Reuss has since gone on to found the band FUN, which is aslo, ok.
37:Artist: Spoon
Learned About 'em: EMU, SICK!
Ideas!: Very catchy bouncy stuff, I Turn My Camera On was featured in the Simpsons as well as a very amusing video of a bouncing green blob. Gimme Fiction is my favorite album, though to be fair I never got around to listening to Ga Ga Ga Ga... You would really be hard pressed not to start jivin' when Spoon comes on the stereo.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Good family entertainment.
36:Artist: Camera Obscura
Learned About 'em: eMusic.
Ideas!: Lot's of sorta catchy stuff, in fact I sometimes mistake them for Spoon and vice-versa. I'm still not super sure what a camera obscura is, although from what I can gather it is some sort of pinhole camera (apparently there is a gallery in Denver!). I would recommend them to anyone who also likes spoon, they're a bit more happy sorta stuff (sometimes).
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Let's get out of this country...
34:Artist: Pela
Learned About 'em: eMusic
Ideas!: Personally I was always a big fan of Pela. They only really had one record as far as I can tell, Anytown Graffiti. They have sort of raspy vocals and big instruments along with very abstract lyrics. I was hanging around Albums on the Hill and saw them in the bargain bin which made me sad, somebody listen to them! They disbanded in 2009.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Again, somebody listen to them!
34:Artist: Andy Stewart
Learned About 'em: Gabe.
Ideas!: Hmmmm, not much to say about this one... Irish folk singer.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Ahhh freedom is like gold, freedom is like gold.
33:Artist: Bishop Allen
Learned About 'em: AQ's Daffodils
Ideas!: I'm on my way to moving past The Broken String, I just haven't pressed the download button yet. He has a really adorable song called Butterfly Nets which I always equated with someone going off to college (It's all about someone leaving for greener pastures but having a place to come home to if they should falter). It took probably a year before I decided to pull the trigger and get some more and so I downloaded The Broken String, It begins with a neat song about the Monitor vs. the Merrimack and continues to be a pretty good record for the whole first half of the CD. It sort of tapers off after the 5th or 6th song to be sure well worth a listen though.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: One of my favorite lines! “If it's ever gonna get any better, it's gotta get worse for a day.” -Rain
32:Artist: Simon and Garfunkel
Learned About 'em: This is a Return to Castle Wolfenstein band if there ever was one.
Ideas!: I'm not going to pretend to know a lot of their songs but the ones I do know I really love, (I am a Rock, The Sound of Silence, Bridge Over Troubled Water...). If you haven't yet heard these gems, it's never too late to start. Art Garfunkel also appeared on Flight of the Conchords for an episode, it was quite hilarious.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Peaceful stuff you can reflect with.
31:Artist: TV On the Radio
Learned About 'em: Nate
Ideas!: What a romantic sort of place Cookie Mountain sounds like. I listened to Staring at the Sun on repeat once for an entire day as Nate can attest to, regardless it's an excellent song. Wolf Like Me seems to be their most popular track, which is understandable because it rocks. Really an overall good band to rock out to, recommended.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: If they were a fruit they would be a strawberry.
30:Artist: The Magnetic Fields
Learned About 'em: eMusic
Ideas!: What is not to love about Stephen Merrit? He amassed an album called 69 Love Songs which is indeed, 69 love songs. I began to download them off of eMusic but really 69 songs is quite a few so I turn to alternative means. I've always, always, always been a huge fan of Book of Love and so should the world (Hi Fig!), other gems include Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side, Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits and others.
Chicka-dee-dee-dee: So long as you like kinky cool sounds and whack lyrics, let's get magnetic!

Top 50: Part I

The first 10- This is the first of my top 50 listened to series. I've included where I first heard them and what I think now. Also, who doesn't love a chickadee?

50:Artist: Yeasayer

Learned About 'em: The first song of theirs I ever had was Sunrise, it was on AQ's daffodils.

Ideas!: I can't claim to know that much about Yeasayer, they have become fairly popular since the release of their last CD ODD BLOOD, but I haven't really gotten past All Hour Cymbals yet. My favorite songs by them include Sunrise and Tightrope however most people I have shared them with prefer Sunrise. Last I heard they were scheduled to visit the Boulder area this spring.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: The music is easy to listen to and enjoyable; artist on the rise.

49:Artist: Shapes and Sizes

Learned About 'em: I pulled these guys off of eMusic one day.

Ideas!: They have whacky beats and sometimes strange vocals. I only have their self titled album though I'm sure they have released more since. I know the songs Island's Gone Bad (which my brother and I made fun of for a summer 'point my finger and thumb and shoot the gun' and something about fruit) and Northern Lights the best.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I wouldn't say I particularly like this band nor that I will listen to them much in the future.

48:Artist: Bright Eyes

Learned About 'em: I really don't know how I came across Bright Eyes, probably a long time ago but I was unaware of it at the time. I'm sure “Bowl of Oranges” was on AQ's Daffodils, but that is the only definite time I can remember seeing their name for the first time.

Ideas!: I really like Bright Eyes, I think Conor Oberst is a terrific lyricist. Most all of his songs are heartbreaking but it's nice to have your heart broken every once in awhile. I have I'm Wide Awake It's Morning and also LIFTED or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground and I think I listen to them a fairly equal amount. I love songs like Lua, We are Nowhere And It's Now, and First Day Of My Life. I don't normally do this but I also recommend the music video for First Day Of My Life, it's pretty sweet. Last year Bright Eyes disbanded.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Though Oberst has moved on, I will certainly continue to love Bright Eyes.

47:Artist: Bubba Sparxxx

Learned About 'em: On an old Madden soundtrack, I can't remember which one.

Ideas!: I have one song, Back In The Mud, and it's really pretty awful. I have nothing to write about this except that I listened to it far to much at one point.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: What a ridiculous name, what a ridiculous song.

46:Artist: Grandaddy

Learned About 'em: On eMusic

Ideas!: These guys really rock, they deserve to be listened to a bit more than they have been but for some reason I never get around to them. I have several albums by them but probably listened to Fambly Cat the most. The song AM 180 is super catchy and fun, I wish I had more to write about them!

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Get your act together and listen to them more...

45:Artist: Morning Runner

Learned About 'em: On a friends Myspace

Ideas!: Another one song wonder, Burning Benches, which really is a pretty good song. I read an article about it once that said the song was originally much softer but they thought it too much of a love song so they added a bit of insanity and lust at the end to convey more of the feeling you get when fall apart longing for someone who doesn't want you.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I have no idea what they're like beyond this song.

44:Artist: Hot Hot Heat

Learned About 'em: This was a birthday present several years ago.

Ideas!: I got the album Make Up The Breakdown and listened to it a bunch of times, it now mostly reminds me of playing Battlefield Vietnam. They have squeaky vocals and loud drums, they're pretty ok I guess.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: Ehhhhh, maybe they've gotten better.

43:Artist: Radiohead

Learned About 'em: No idea.

Ideas!: Ok so it is fairly blasphemous to most people to have them so far down on the list but what can you do? I really like Radiohead and I loved how In Rainbows was released for whatever price you wanted to pay for it; though as I remember I paid for it much later at a regular price of about $15. They were a huge 90's band and continue to crank out good sound.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I hope I get around to them more soon.

42:Artist: Pretty Girls Make Graves

Learned About 'em: No idea.

Ideas!: I can't say much about these (girls?). I vaguely remember playing Midnight Club while listening to them and I know they're pretty decent. I don't know anything about their discography except that Elan Vital (my album) has a cool picture of an animated ice cream cone on it.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: A smooth dark sound.

41:Artist: Death Cab for Cutie

Learned About 'em: Maybe through I Will Follow You Into the Dark?

Ideas!: Terrific stuff, he music is music is occasionally boring but his lyrics are always very clever. He wrote a sleuth of songs which I fell in love with such as the aforementioned Follow You Into the Dark, Soul Meets Body, Title and Registration, and President of What?. The last single he put out was a single for the Twilight series and all Twilight prejudices aside I wasn't impressed. This coupled with what I thought was a pretty weak record in I Will Possess Your Heart has me a little disappointed with Ben Gibbard but I really do think that with talent like his it's just a matter of time before he turns out another great record.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: I wonder how many times his songs have been played at weddings.

40:Artist: Bishop Allen

Learned About 'em: AQ's Daffodils

Ideas!: I'm on my way to moving past The Broken String, I just haven't pressed the download button yet. He has a really adorable song called Butterfly Nets which I always equated with someone going off to college (It's all about someone leaving for greener pastures but having a place to come home to if they should falter). It took probably a year before I decided to pull the trigger and get some more and so I downloaded The Broken String, It begins with a neat song about the Monitor vs. the Merrimack and continues to be a pretty good record for the whole first half of the CD. It sort of tapers off after the 5^th or 6^th song to be sure well worth a listen though.

Chicka-dee-dee-dee: One of my favorite lines! “If it's ever gonna get any better, it's gotta get worse for a day.” -Rain

Life is grand

Last night was Basia Bulat's concert at the First Unitarian Chapel, the venue was a long, narrow line of pews. The walls were covered with beautiful ornate woodwork shaped like churches or castles or something of that nature, as Basia put it, "it's like a jewelry box!". We managed a pew in the third row and listened to some interesting rag-time/country while we discussed the finer points of "Little Waltz" as we awaited the start of the show.

Meg Baird promptly showed up, sat down, and started playing without a word. She played a guitar by herself along with some spooky vocals about mountains, sunsets and stars. She seemed a little timid throughout her performance and kept her eyes closed which was different. She never did get to telling us her name, by I looked it up after; I would enjoy her music on a rainy summer day while I was dreaming of living somewhere else.

Basia and her gang (her brother Bobby and the viola player Allison, Holly was absent from this show) came on stage 20 minutes later and after thanking Meg jumped right into Heart of My Own. I was really looking forward to hearing this song live because the vocals at the beginning of the first chorus I think are really powerful on the CD. Of course anything live will blow a pair of lousy computer speakers out of the water but there is something entrancing about the way Basia can use her voice, she filled the entire chapel with it. There was a little kid, probably about 3 or 4 years old, sitting on the floor right by us that had to cover his ears when Basia came on stage and starting belting her songs out, the child had Basia smiling throughout the whole concert (I like to thing she'd have been smiling anyway). She followed with a personal favorite of mine, "The Pilgriming Vine", my dear friend Achsah Joseph gave me this song a few years back on our lovely invented holiday "daffodil day", so this was the first Basia song I ever possessed. It was nice to hear slight variation in the song* but maybe that's just because I have an older recording of the song, in any case it was very satisfying to finally hear it come to life.

In the middle of the show Bobby and Allison took a break and Basia played a few songs by herself. After her first song she stopped and asked if we would like to try the next song without the speakers because it was such a acoustic little room, we of course obliged. She picked up her ukulele and played out a floating rendition of "Sparrow" which without the subtle scratches of the mic and speakers gave the song a soft and gentle touch. While she was standing up there by herself it seemed as though she was singing the song for only you.

She continued to play out a mix of her first and second album with passion and energy in songs like "In the Night" and a tragic longing in "I Was a Daughter", it was exactly what I expected, anticipated, and dreamed of. Once she wad done my friend Tori leaned over and asked "Do they do encores in chapels?" and thankfully she did!

She played a couple more songs including a request much to my delight for "Oh, My Darling" and ended with the gorgeous gospel song "Hush". She plays "Hush" by herself with no instrument except stomping the ground with her feet to create a beat and of course using her golden voice.


Oh yeah, and...



I got a chance to meet Basia Bulat! She played a great show in a great venue, I hope I get to see her again soon.

This is a really perfect video, well done Mr. Oberst.

New things every day

If there is one thing I thought I knew, it was that I had all of Basia's work. Lo and behold, some fresh (ok so it may be 5 years old) however very unpublicized work from 2005. All I can figure from the website is that she played the venue with the Poche Orchestra. It sounds very raw, sort of an interesting recording. Live performances definitely have their pluses and minuses this one has a few bumps and skips throughout, new songs included on this recording are; Distance, I am a Pilgrim, Secret House, What a Difference a Day Makes, Will you Still Love Me Tomorrow?, Sun at my Back, and Who Loves the Sun?. Link to download.

Also, chirality is quite annoying. What?!?!?

Well, this is adorable

Let's have a Hug O' War.

Bulat's New CD

The fantastic Canadian singer Basia Bulat is debuting her sophomore record on Tuesday January 23rd! The title of the album is Heart of my Own named after the 5th track on the record (downloadable here). Most of this record was written or conceived while she was on the road which seems to add a certain longing to several of her songs (at least the ones I've heard so far). Basia records her music in studio live and off the floor as much as she can and records to tape whenever possible giving her music a sort of a rough sounding which juxtaposes well with her soft and deep voice. I personally have great expectations for this new CD simply because of how much I enjoyed the last one (I listened to it about 40 times, at least) but I am sure anything Basia puts out will be thoroughly enjoyable. So iTunes it, or go to a local music store and pick up Heart of my Own and if you don't already have it grab Oh My Darling, if only for the terrific album artwork!