Blog

• Saturday’s Bruises (Morning Playlist)

  
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  The one where Rachel knows a thing or two about hangovers, Beth digs Scottish indie pop and Devin never thought he could love country so much.

  Rachel

  “Friends in Low Places” - Garth Brooks

  “I Gotta Get Drunk” - The Little Willies

  “Morning” - Benjamin Westermann-Clark

  Wild nights lead to icky mornings.

  Beth

  “You’re Cover’s Blown” - Belle and Sebastian

  “Wrapped Up in Books” - Belle and Sebastian

  “Your Secrets” - Belle and Sebastian

  I love Belle and Sebastian’s 2004 EP-Books. Just a very different feel from most of their stuff.

  Devin

  “Sit And Listen To The Rain” - Whiskeytown

  “Don’t Be Sad” - Whiskeytown

  “Easy Hearts” - Whiskeytown

  This is what got me into alternative country. And now I can’t leave.

  Best of grooveshark lite: With You by Chris Brown

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  July 18th, 2008 · No comments
• Cast A Line (Afternoon Sounds)

  The idea of taking a fishing trip is quite the thrilling concept. Spending all day out on the water, soaking up summer’s warm rays and worrying about little less than what’s at the end of your rod.

  
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  Getting out there and actually catching fish is another story. 95% of the time, the trip entails all lounge and no catch. With that in mind, I like to prepare a lengthy playlist of relaxing music to keep my mind busy while my body takes a break…

  Hook Your Bait

  1. “Doin’ Time” - Sublime
  2. “Kokomo” - Beach Boys
  3. “When I’m Sixty-Four” - The Beatles
  4. “Killer’s Creek” - Mason Jennings
  5. “I Can See Clearly Now” - Johnny Nash

  Crack Open A Beer

  1. “Margaritaville” - Jimmy Buffet
  2. “Champagne Supernova” - Oasis
  3. “Tequila Sunrise” - The Eagles
  4. “The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)” - Tom Waits
  5. “Gin and Juice” - Snoop Doggy Dogg

  Cast A Line

  1. “Summer Wind” - Frank Sinatra
  2. “The Boys of Summer” - Don Henley
  3. “Summer Lovin’” - Grease Soundtrack
  4. “California Girls” - Beach Boys
  5. “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” - Otis Redding

  Sit Back And Relax

  1. “Ballad For My One True Love” - Mason Jennings
  2. “Let’s Get It On” - Marvin Gaye
  3. “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” - Steely Dan
  4. “Cruisin’ Together” - Gwyneth Paltrow & Huey Lewis
  5. “Dancing In The Dark” - Bruce Springsteen

  The perfect playlist for an afternoon on the high seas — let’s just hope your luck is this good.

  Best of grooveshark lite: Take You There by Sean Kingston

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  July 18th, 2008 · No comments
• Natalie And Her Hula Hoop

  Two weeks ago, Jack and I trekked all the way to Michigan for the first annual Rothbury Festival. As a festival virgin, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from what Jack referred to as “a real-life Hippie Jam Fest“.

  
  

  After a 20-hour car ride north, we finally arrived in Rothbury, Michigan and to the Double JJ Ranch that would be our home for the next three days. We set out to find the press tent and get to work setting up interviews and preparing ourselves for the weekend. Little did we know that the festival site was roughly the size of Alaska and staff communication was sketchy at best. Several hours later, tired, confused, and exasperated, we gave up and decided to try again in the morning, when things were running more smoothly. I decided to park it in front of one of the stages while Jack got us some lemonade.

  I started half-heartedly people watching, feeling a little homesick and very snarky. Why were these hippies so enthusiastic about some crappy jam band? They were obviously just there to get obliterated and dance around in some field. I spotted a girl blowing bubbles with a hula hoop balanced on one shoulder and figured she could probably provide some footage that we could make fun of on the blog.

  She started walking towards me and I half-jokingly asked if she would hula hoop for me. I immediately felt like a jerk when her face lit up. “Of course!” she said. “Will you watch my bubble maker?”. Embarrassed that I had been so mean, if only in my head, I nodded and moved over so she could set down all of her stuff. Right then, Jack walked back over with our cups and said “Hey! Cool! You’re one of those hula hoop girls!” Apparently he had seen this kind of thing before.

  

  I had no idea, as most people probably don’t, that hooping is a kind of art form in the world of outdoor festivals and concerts. After showing off her skills (see video), the girl plopped down next to me and started telling me all about the world of “hooping”. She told us her name was Natalie and she was from Mesulah, Montana. She first started hooping at last year’s 10,000 Lakes Festival and had been practicing in her spare time. She explained that most of the people that you see hooping at festivals or concerts have been doing it for years. Eventually, she said, she hoped to learn to use a fire hoop, which is a heavier hoop equipped with pyrotechnics.

  The more she talked to us about hooping, the guiltier I felt. This girl was so stoked to tell us about her passion. Who was I to make fun of her, even just to myself, for that? The people at Rothbury may have been light years different from Jack and I, but they were there for the same reasons we were- they were passionate about something. After we met Natalie, Jack and I instilled a no-snark ban.

  We only got to talk to Natalie for a few hours, and the world of hooping is so diverse that I still don’t know everything about it. Our own Vilma is staying with a woman in Austin who is famous for hooping and fire dancing and taught Thievery Corporation her tricks. Hopefully she has some good stories and pictures to share when she gets back. I do know that hooping is hard to do and fun to watch. The video below doesn’t do justice to what it was really like- home-girl can swing a hoop.

  
  Our Friend Natalie from GroovesharkRothbury on Vimeo.

  Best of grooveshark lite: Hey There Delilah by Plain White T S

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  July 18th, 2008 · No comments
• Around the World and Under a Rock (News Break)

  Bjork Tries to “Declare Independence”

  
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  China is now prohibiting all foreign performers who “threaten national sovereignty” or attend events that do so. The decision comes after a performance that Bjork gave in Shanghai earlier this year, where after her song “Declare Independence”, she led the crowd in a chant of “Tibet! Tibet!” There have been other incidents with various performers, but the Bjork incident prompted China to take action.
  
  China has occupied and ruled in Tibet since the 1950s. In 1959, the Tibetan uprising against China caused the Dalai Lama and 100,000 Tibetans into exile. Any opposition to China’s authority is heavily condemned.

  With the Olympics coming up next month, Beijing has been enforcing strict rules, banning pop shows, and having all entertainers give them an exact list of songs performed, even encores. China wants to prevent unruly crowds and protesters.

  Listen: Declare Independence by Bjork

  Sex Pistols Singer Booed At Exit Festival

  
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  During the last night of the Exit Festival, The Sex Pistol’s Johnny Rotten silenced and shocked the crowd when he asked “So who thinks America should still be in Iraq?” After a moment, booes and jeers were thrown at him, which in response Johhny Rotten started raising his arms and saying “Praise Allah, Praise Allah,” over and over. The booing and jeering continued.

  Realizing his mistake, he started chanting “Praise Serbia, Praise Serbia!” and quickly started another song. (Virtual Festivals)

  The Exit Festival started as a student initiated project and is now in it’s 8th year. The four day festival takes place in Serbia, in the historic Petrovaradin Fortress (doesn’t that sound fancy and fun?). This year’s festival also included Gogol Bordello, M.I.A., Paul Weller, The Hives, and many others.

  Listen: God Save the Queen by The Sex Pistols

  Fans of Nine Inch Nails On a Treasure Hunt

  
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  An exclusive concert on July 19th to kick off the band’s tour has sent fans digging in the dirt and looking under rocks.

  According to the L.A. Times Music Blog, the band posted a file on their website that took them to a Google Earth map with markers directing hard-core fans to an exclusive ticket hidden under rock. The second ticket was hidden in a drain pipe, which the blog’s writer tells you all about him and his brother’s victory in finding the tickets.

  Nine Inch Nails have been known in the past for sending their fans on adventures to obtain coveted tickets.

  Listen: Closer by Nine Inch Nails

  Best of grooveshark lite: Stronger by Kanye West

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  July 18th, 2008 · No comments
• Doc, Rock, and Mock (Remix)

  I have to admit, I don’t watch as many music documentaries as I should. Here’s a few that I have seen and some that I’d like to see:

  Joy Division-Control

  
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  I saw the movie, Control, sitting on the shelf of Video Rodeo last week. Must rent that one.

  Control (technically a biopic) is loosely based on the memoir by Ian Curtis’ widow. Ian Curtis has been dead for 27 years, after he committed suicide right before his 24th birthday and Joy Division’s first American tour.

  

  Listen: No Love Lost
  Listen: Transmission
  Listen: A Means to an End

  Buena Vista Social Club

  

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  This 1999 documentary of the dear old long forgotten Cuban ensemble reunited by Ry Cooder to record in Havana and perform in NYC’s Carnegie Hall. Some of them have never even been to NYC, so to watch their reactions are priceless. Part of the documentary also follows them around Cuba, and a memorable moment was when Ry Cooder was aimlessly wandering the streets serenading bystanders. It’s a beautiful film that anyone would enjoy, regardless if they have listened to Buena Vista, and will surely make you a fan, if not bigger fan of their music.

  

  Listen: Caballo Viejo
  Listen: Dos Garderias
  Listen: De Camino a La Verada

  It’s All Gone, Pete Tong: The Legend of Frankie Wilde, the Deaf DJ

  
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  This movie is a fictional independent mockumentary about Frankie Wilde, a high profile DJ living the luxurious life. His immense exposure to loud noise, alcohol and cocaine lead to his complete loss of hearing and isolation from society, his friends and family. The mockumentary has his friends, family, and fellow DJs act as talking heads who are completely self absorbed. It’s a good movie to watch, a bit over the top, but it’s a mockumentary.

  

  Listen: Can You Hear Me Now? (Club Mix)

  Fearless Freaks

  
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  The Fearless Freaks featuring the Flaming Lips is in my opinion one of the most fun music documentaries I’ve ever watched. But then again, the Flaming Lips themselves are a giant bubble of creative energy, so why wouldn’t it be fun to watch this doc?

  The movie is made by first time director Bradley Beesley, who combines “400 hours of footage that includes a decade of home movies, personal interviews, live shows, music videos, and behind the scenes of Christmas on Mars” to create this impressive film. I really enjoyed the interspersed scenes where family members were interviewed, especially the one with Wayne Coyne’s mother who is talking about “alternative music.” For some reason I get a kick out of an old lady talking about alternative music, it doesn’t seem right that those words are coming out of her mouth, but at the same time it is awesome. There is also a scene of Steve Drozd shooting up heroin. The film addresses the problems with drugs and the effect on the band and families, and Wayne vocalizes very much how himself and other members were not happy with the heavy use of drugs.

  I highly recommend this film; Flaming Lips fan or not.

  Fearless Freaks Trailer

  

  Listen: Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
  Listen: It’s Summertime
  Listen: The Spiderbite Song

  A Skin Too Few

  
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  I have not had the opportunity to see this documentary, but since I’m a big Nick Drake fan, I plan on trying to get my hands on this film at some point. Nick Drake was unknown to people in the late ’60s and early ’70s, and it wasn’t until recently that his popularity has gained. I noticed after the movie, Garden State, his popularity was bolstered to a more mainstream crowd because the soundtrack included his song, “One of These Things First”.

  Drake was 20 years old when he released his debut album, Five Leaves Left. He battled with depression, low self-esteem and disappointment of not having commercial success. He became extremely introverted and withdrawn. In 1974, he died from an overdose of an anti-depressant and his death was ruled as a suicide. If only he could see the the success and popularity he started to gain in the ’80s and throughout today.

  

  Listen: One of These Things First
  Listen: Pink Moon
  Listen: Harvest Breed

  Best of grooveshark lite: Push by Match Box 20

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  July 18th, 2008 · No comments
• If The Ringtone Fits… (Remix)

  It happens all the time.

  Douchebag McGee is going on and on about the neverending list of girls he’s slept with and how many fifths of grain alcohol he can chug in a night when — as if the powers that be have had just about enough of his crap — his phone starts blowin’ up to the sound of Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like A Bird.”

  
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  The simple fact is that the ringtones you choose say everything about who you are. Choose wisely and you will have your friends’ everlasting respect. Choose poorly, and you might as well stamp ‘IDIOT’ to your forehead.

  The Whipped Boyfriend

  
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  This guy sits at the bar with his boys without realizing that his girlfriend will call any minute and he has forgotten to put his phone on vibrate. In the blink of an eye, he drops down a couple rungs on the friend ladder when Orleans’ “Still The One” begins eminating from his pocket.

  Little do they know, he still harbors painful memories of this song from his childhood but the insistance of his girlfriend left him the sole option of putting it into his phone. Every time she calls, a piece of him dies inside.

  The “Beat a Dead Horse” Guy

  Having been way overexposed to “A Night at the Roxbury,” this guy has “What Is Love” set for every person in his phone. Every time somebody calls, he chuckles and bobs his head a la Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell despite the fact that none of his friends really ever thought that movie was very funny in the first place.

  This guy also relates most everyday conversation to Frank Black standup in one way or another, even though his timid nature and soft facial features completely cancel out the intended effect.

  The Metal Lover

  
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  His ringtones are almost always impossible-to-discern tunes like Dethklok’s “Better Metal Snake,” especially when coming through the miniscule speakers of a cell phone.

  Such an effect is most likely intended though, seeing as he likes his music good and indiscernable.

  The Classical Aficionado

  This guy, usually a fourth- or fifth-year music major, is no longer impressed by the sound of a blue-collared man’s music. His lifelong love of music theory leaves him listening to nothing less than symphonic greats like Beethoven’s No. 5 and Mozart’s No. 40.

  Unfortunately, his cell phone doesn’t reach a volume that lets him hear the ringtone in most public places and he misses 75% of his calls.

  The Raver

  
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  His passion for techno unrivaled, The Raver needs a ringtone he can dance to for the six seconds it takes him to pick up a call.

  In most cases, however, he unknowingly chooses one of his phone’s generic “robotic” ringtones mistaking it for his favorite techno beat.

  Best of grooveshark lite: Come Fly With Me by Micheal Buble

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  July 17th, 2008 · No comments
• Music and Design: The Best Novelty MP3 Players

  So you’ve gone to the apple store and purchased the newest version of the iPod that holds like 85 million songs at a time and also does your laundry. You can’t wait to show it to your friends, and when you do most of them are suitably impressed. You will all revel in your technological savvy, exchanging high fives with your buddies while keeping an eye on the girl in the corner who’s had sex in her eyes since you revealed your new iPod.

  

  Then your zany friend Cornelius will show up with an mp3 player that doubles as an animatronic rhinoceros and your friends will immediately lose interest in your significantly less cool iPod. The high fives will disappear and Cornelius will retreat into a room with the girl as you curse your lack of ingenuity when purchasing a novelty mp3 player.

  To avoid this happening, here is a list of bizarre mp3 players that will slay the Corneliuses of the world.

  Helmet Mp3 Players

  

  What better way to show your school spirit than with a college football team helmet that also plays music? You can have your collection of Grateful Dead bootlegs right alongside the Florida fight song. These miniature helmets fit in your palm and contain 1gb of memory space. They have almost every Division I team and also have FM radio capabilities.

  Song To Consider: “University of Florida Fight Song”

  Price: $79.99

  Dog Tag Mp3 Player

  

  This nifty contraption comes with a lanyard to give the illusion that you’re actually wearing dog tags. It actually looks more like you’re just wearing your electronic car keys on your neck, but you still have pretty quick access to your music. Made by Jabra, this device will have your friends admiring your stylish taste in jewelry and your even better taste in music.

  Song to Consider: “Army” by Ben Folds Five

  Price: $90.

  Light Saber Mp3 Player

  

  For all you Star Wars fans out there comes a light saber mp3 player that is guaranteed to impress even the most jaded audience. It comes with 25W stereo speakers and options to stream and transfer music. The green LED light gives it that quasi-authentic feel. Can you imagine pulling this bad boy out at a party?
  
  Song to Consider: “Imperial March”

  Price: $27-$43.

  Toilet MP3 Player

  

  Everyone can relate to sitting on the toilet and being struck with a sudden urge to hear “Unpretty” by TLC. It’s a more common affliction than many know. Now you don’t have to tote that bulky ipod into the bathroom because Toto Japan is offering an mp3 playing toilet seat. The seat also heats up and and has an automatic washer. Nothing says “I love you” like a luxurious toilet seat mp3 player under the Christmas tree next December.

  Song To Consider: “Shit” by Public Enemy

  Price: $1750

  Pez MP3 Player

  

  I think we can all agree that it’s almost un-American to not enjoy the deliciousness of Pez candy. While the PEZ MP3 player doesn’t dispense delightful treats, it does have the capacity to store up to 20 hours of music. You can even get this sucker pre-loaded with “indie tracks” (whatever the hell that means).

  Song to Consider: “Shotgun” by Less Than Jake

  Price: $100.

  Acorn MP3 Player

  

  Evergreen beat it’s competitors to the punch when it went after the invaluable squirrel demographic with it’s Acorn MP3 player. It’s a pretty tiny device, measuring out at 28mm in diameter and 35mm tall. It’s encased in wood and has 1GB of storage space. Not really sure why anyone would want an acorn mp3 player. I mean, it’s no MP3 Toilet but it’s still kind of cool.

  Price: Nobody knows. It’s been cloaked in mystery. Audiophile Squirrels are becoming impatient.

  Song to Consider: “Little Acorns” by The White Stripes

  Rubik’s Cube MP3 Player

  The novelty of being the only guy at a party who can complete a Rubik’s Cube just gained a new dimension. The folks at Hee Yong have designed a Rubik’s Cube that plays music that corresponds to whatever move you make on the Rubik’s Cube. There’s no word yet on whether it comes pre-programmed with the entire Rush discography.

  Song To Consider: “Tom Sawyer” by Rush

  Price: Nobody knows. Or DO they?

  Best of grooveshark lite: Time Is Running Out by Muse

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  July 17th, 2008 · No comments
• Burn, Baby, Burn!!! (Memorable Moments)

  
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  It was announced today that one of Jimi Hendrix’s guitars that he set on fire in 1967 at London’s Finsbury Astoria will be auctioned off by the Fame Bureau in London on September 4th. It is projected that it is worth and will go for about a million dollars. The guitar that was once thought to be lost, is a 965 Fender Stratocaste, and the fire sent Hendrix to the hospital with minor burns to his hands.

  Jimi Hendrix Summoning Guitar to Burst into Flames

  Monterey Pop Festival ‘67
  
  

  Jimi’s Other Talent: Playing His Guitar with His Teeth

  

  Interesting Jimi Hendrix Facts:

  1. “All Along the Watchtower” is a Bob Dylan cover. (Thanks, Jack).
  2. Jimi was left handed but would play righty guitars.
  3. Percussion was his first instrument.
  4. He served one year in the army.
  5. “Jimi got his first guitar at the age of 15, replacing his broomstick that he would pretend to be a guitar.”
  6. His childhood name was Buster.
  7. He is #51 on VH1’s 100 Sexiest Artists.
  8. He tried marijuana for the first time at age 15.
  9. Hendrix was in the army because he got into trouble with the law. It was prison for two years or join the army, for which he was in the 101st Airborne Division.
  10. “Jimi’s first guitar was a white Supro Ozark that his dad had bought him”.

  Three of my favorite quotes:

  “Once you’re dead, you’re made for life.”
  “You have to go on and be crazy. Craziness is like heaven.”
  And….
  “I’ve been imitated so well I’ve heard people copy my mistakes.”

  (Facts and quotes credit)

  LONG LIVE THE KING!!!!!!

  Listen: All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
  Listen: All Along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan
  Listen: Crosstown Traffic by Jimi Hendrix
  Listen: Voodoo Child Slight Return by Jimi Hendrix

  Best of grooveshark lite: Better Together by Jack Johnson

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  July 17th, 2008 · No comments
• Getting a History Lesson Through Music (Afternoon Sounds)

  I had a history teacher in 7th grade who used to say “we” when describing the collective efforts of every historian in the world. For example, instead of “historians are still vexed about the disappearance of the Roanoke settlers”, it was “we’re still vexed about the disappearance of the Roanoke settlers”. I’m not sure why this bugged me so much, but it did. I think our teacher wanted us to believe that when she wasn’t talking about The Battle of Bunker Hill, she was out on the front lines meticulously researching, excavating tombs, and generally being a soccer mom version of Indiana Jones. Every groundbreaking historical discovery could not have come to fruition without a little help from our history teacher.

  

  With that being said, I still aced her class. While this may have been a direct result of her pulling questions from the back of the book, I like to think learning about history through music probably helped along the way. Sure, that’s probably a pretty transparent and not altogether accurate way of transitioning into the thesis of this blog, but the fact remains that there are many songs that probably taught people history lessons better than a stodgy teacher in a classroom. Springsteen “learned more from a 3 minute record than he ever learned in school”, and if you can’t believe The Boss, then who can you believe?

  So, instead of continuing this unnecessarily wordy introduction, here’s a playlist of songs that spurns the usual songwriting fare of girls, cars, and booze for a history lesson.

  1. “North to Alaska” by Johnny Horton.

  2. “Hurricane” by Bob Dylan

  3. “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

  4. “American Skin (41 Shots)”- by Bruce Springsteen

  5. “We Didn’t Start The Fire” by Billy Joel (I’m sorry).

  6. “Battle of New Orleans” by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

  7. “American Pie” by Don McLean

  8. “Pride (In the name of love)” by u2

  9. “The Sands of Iwo Jima” by Drive-By Truckers

  10. “The Battle Hymn of The Republic” by Stryper (this one is a joke. kind of).

  Best of grooveshark lite: Clumsy by Fergie

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  July 17th, 2008 · No comments
• Oh My Sweet Carolina (Morning Playlist)

  
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  The one where Devin wishes he’d never left the mountains, Beth calls out Sub Pop and Rachel still thinks it’s 1999.

  Devin

  “Daniel” - Elton John

  “Amie” - Pure Prairie League

  “Can’t Fight This Feeling” - REO Speedwagon

  Theme songs for my recent trip to Brevard, North Carolina. It seemed that every time I turned the radio on, one of these three songs was playing.

  Beth

  “Oliver James” - Fleet Foxes

  “St. Augustine” - Band of Horses

  “A Bit of Wind” - Fruit Bats

  I was noticing all the bands on Sub Pop named after animals for some reason today.

  Rachel

  “No No No Pt. 2” - Destiny’s Child

  “Jumpin, Jumpin” - Destiny’s Child

  “Where’d You Go” - Destiny’s Child

  Lately I can’t stop bumpin’ the old-school DC. So good.

  Best of grooveshark lite: Mer Du Japon by Air

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  July 16th, 2008 · No comments