Here’s what’s been keeping me away.
Just a few things that I’ve enjoyed lately:
So Julian Casablancas from The Strokes is releasing an album this month. His first single 11th Dimension is amazing. You can check it out here.
Joshua James, one of my favorite singers, released his new album last month. It’s wonderful and praised by pretty much every critic. Check it out, and go see him live if you have the chance.
I’ve waited months for this book to be released. Donald Miller is wonderful, and captivates me with every book. This book has been no exception so far.
Glee is funny, witty, and pleasing to the ears. The cast is uber talented and the covers they do rival original versions.
Imogen Heap – Ellipse
I’ve been looking forward to this album all summer.
Elliott Smith
Death comes too quickly sometimes, and thus was the case for Elliott Smith. The emotion that fills his music overwhelms me at times. So, for this post, there is nothing new. No new artist or album release. There’s only a trustworthy muse who passed far too soon. I go through spurts where I don’t listen to him very often, and then others where I can’t seem to stay away. His writing is superb and touches deep within you; there’s just something about it. He can turn a seemingly simple tune into something that will shake you. Anyway, I’m posting a video of him playing at the Oscar’s. I completely forgot about this and thought i’d share it. Enjoy.
I also found this video/music playing with album art of a cover of Clementine by The Decemberists. Even though I wasn’t sure what to think about it at first, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Recommendations
Ok, yes I know, it’s been awhile. Well, I’m back and I have some recommendations for you. A couple of these i meant to talk about a few weeks ago, but kept putting it off. Anyway, here it is:
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Paper RoutePaper Route is an amazing band that I first heard about in college. Their live show is filled with incredible energy and if you have a chance to see them live I definitely recommend it. If you can’t do that then their latest album, Absence, will have to suffice. Trust me you won’t be disappointed.
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Manchester OrchestraA very old friend of mine once played a show with Manchester Orchestra about four years ago. I went, listened, and instantly adored them. Their new album, Mean Everything to Nothing, is a little on the harder side than their previous work, but at the same time they continue to hone their skills. I’m impressed with how far they’ve come.
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Conor OberstThis album is one of the more different albums I’ve come across from Conor both from his new band and his old Bright Eyes. He elicits the help of his band more than ever and doesn’t even do the lead vocals on all of the songs. I personally really enjoy Conor, but I know that there are those of you who can’t stand him one bit.. won’t name any names.. Anyway I enjoy Outer South and think you should at least check it out.
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PhoenixNow even though Nolan Ross and I might not agree on all music we certainly do have some similar interests. I have to thank him for showing me Phoenix months ago and getting me excited for their latest album. I tend to love really dancy music that just makes you want to move. Phoenix does this to me. Check out 1901 and Liztomania to really get you started.
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School of Seven BellsOk ok ok this isn’t a new album. I’ve actually been listening to it for a few months now. I just don’t think i’ve ever talked about it. I was recently reminded of it because I saw they were playing here in Nashville soon, and am thinking about going. Their music is almost like electro tribal music. It’s very driven and sometimes I’ll find myself just zoning out to it. No really, it’s great. However, be forewarned I don’t love the entire album, but most of it I do. Its worth at least a couple spins.
the unlikely disciple: kevin roose.
A sinner’s semester at America’s holiest university. The title is enough intrigue to get you started, especially if you are an alumnus from the aforementioned ‘holiest’ university. I’m not going to judge on the holiness of the university itself, but I can say that during my time there I made some of my best friends; great people who i’ll always adore.
I read Kevin’s book cover to cover and I have to say that he gives Liberty a fair shot. He’s not there to bash Christians or to discredit anything about Liberty. I thoroughly enjoyed his humor along with the experiences that happened upon him while he was living with evangelical Christians on a day to day basis.
I know that a lot of Liberty’s student body is made up of fundamental conservative evangelical Christians, but there are some who don’t fit into this mold. There are Christians at Liberty who don’t vote for politicians based on whether they are Republican or Democrat. There are Christians at Liberty who drink and smoke. There are Christians at Liberty who don’t agree with everything that the University stands for, and it’s good. I didn’t follow all the rules while I was at Liberty, hell I probably should have been kicked out, but I choose to go there. Above all, I loved the people and the atmosphere, and I think Kevin got to see a glimpse of that.
tea goodness.
So i just started to drink loose leaf tea. I have to say that it is a much grander experience than drinking tea out of bag. A friend of mine told me that tea in a bag is not taken care of, and that is where you get varying tastes from when comparing bagged tea to loose leaf tea. Anyways, we started using this online tea company called Adagio. I have to say that this company has far exceeded my expectations so far. My roommate and I each were given separate sample sets for free. Free tea is always a good thing. Long story short their prices are awesome, much cheaper than other companies such as Teavana, and they ship their tea in tins to keep the tea fresh. Some teas i recommend from Adagio are the Diggnation sampler set which has some great blends, and my roommate tells me the Honeybush Mango Rooibos I ordered is delicious as well. He snuck some before I could get to it. Seriously get some tea. You won’t regret it.
inspiring.
A friend of mine, Derek Bennion, posted this story on Twitter the other day. I actually took the time to read it, which is sometimes rare. It’s extremely inspiring to see love like this. Enjoy.
today’s random playlist
M.IA. – Boyz
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Shame and Fortune
Kings of Leon – California Waiting
M83 – Graveyard Girl
Jack’s Mannequin – American Love
Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes
Santogold – You’ll Find a Way (Switch and Sinden Remix)
Bon Iver – Blood Bank
The White Stripes – It’s True That We Love One Another
The Strokes – Last Nite
Manchester Orchestra – Golden Ticket
The Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done
Kings of Leon – Cold Desert
Silversun Pickups – Future Foe Scenarios
The National – Lit Up (Remix)
TV On The Radio – Golden Age
Jenny Lewis – Next Messiah
new music.
So a friend of mine has started a music blog with a friend of his. I know, thats a little confusing. The blog is entitled The Musicmen Cometh. You can visit it here. They have turned me on to some great new music the past couple of days such as Phoenix, and Dark Was the Night compilation, which has an unbelievable line-up of artists such as: Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, and The National. Also while watching Carson Daly last night, which is something I never do, he was out discovering new music. Last night he has Melanie Fiona. She will be a star, I don’t have any doubts about that. Her voice is kind of captivating in a way. She isn’t what i would consider a normal soul singer. There’s definitely something special about her.
one more thing.
i bought the White Stripes album Elephant about a week ago. It was the best 1.25 I’ve ever spent on an album. I don’t know why I didn’t have it before.