Tag: slow runner

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion, you tube

5SF: may 13

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Look y’all! The 5SF is back this week! Now that I’m DONE WITH NURSING SCHOOL, perhaps it will become more of a regular feature here on this blog; I have missed doing it, and I know that it has been too sparse over the past year or so. Without further adieu, let’s get this thing started!

City and Colour – Northern Wind
In anticipation for Dallas Green’s new City and Colour album, Little Hell (out June 7), I have been checking his website a lot to see if any news or songs were being released prior to the album. Imagine my intense glee when I found that he had posted Northern Wind, because this song is nothing short of epic. This song solidified the fact that this guy is not only incredibly talented, but that he only continues to raise the bar on his own music. I have talked a lot of Dallas in the past, and I will not be stopping any time soon; and if the new album is anything like this, I can guarantee we have one of 2011’s best right here. This song is already on repeat for me, and I pre-ordered the album right after I heard it; something I never do. This guy has really made a lifelong fan out of me, and I will continue to follow his music as long as he makes stuff as endearingly beautiful as this. Northern Wind is seriously one of my favorite songs of 2011 so far, and makes it even more exciting to have City and Colour as one of my most favorite artists. Listen to Northern Wind here.

The Decemberists – Rise To Me
A friend of mine on facebook reminded me that I needed to give the new Decemberists album, The King is Dead a proper listen, and I am glad that I did. Overall, the album is pretty decent, but this song is the real standout for me; it is incredibly beautiful in every way. I have always loved Colin Meloy’s voice, and it is so tender in this song, and the lyrics are vivid. I love how the song is arranged, and how it is almost like an old timey country song; which is normally not something I would instantly love. It’s definitely a little different than some of their previous work, but I cannot get enough of this song; it is really, really beautiful. I have been listening to it on repeat for a few weeks now, and it just gets better every time I hear it. Listen to Rise To Me here.

Slow Runner – Devil Moon
I mentioned Slow Runner a few posts ago when I was talking about the incredible William Fitzsimmons concert I saw at Smith’s Olde Bar a few weeks ago. These guys opened for him, and played with him throughout his set as well, and I was very impressed and thought they were pretty amazing live. When I came home, I downloaded some of their stuff, and was happy to have found a great band in the process. In concert they reminded me a lot of The Postal Service, and that electronic-pop-folk sensibility is front and center on their recorded stuff as well. This song, from their new album Damage Points, is by far my favorite of all their stuff I have heard. It’s beautiful, and the lead’s voice is very shyly tender and sweet. I will definitely be keeping my eye on these guys in the future. Listen to Devil Moon here.

Kylie – Better Than Today
It has been exactly one week since I saw the incredible show Kylie put on at the Fox Theater last week. My buddy Stu surprised me with tickets, and the show was amazing!!! I was a fan of Kylie before, but she has definitely moved up on my list of favorite artists. The show’s production was far and above over the top, and every moment was a true sight to behold; this woman is incredible live, and you are truly missing out if you haven’t seen her in concert. Since seeing the show, I have been listening to lots more Kylie, and have given Aphrodite more of a chance. After having seen her perform the songs live, I have a newfound appreciate for them, and have been enjoying her music much, much more. I feel like if I had seen her live earlier, I would have probably ranked this album higher, and it may have even made me favorites of 2010. Thanks for taking me to the show, Stu! It was incredible!! Watch the video for Better Than Today here.

Jennifer Lopez – (What Is) Love?
After seeing a friend I follow on twitter say he was actually, surprisingly enjoying the new JLo album, my curiosity was piqued, and as such, I decided I needed to give it a listen; after all, JLo has had some great songs in the past. While the guilty pleasure still remains strong with On the Floor (which is way more catchy than I originally gave it credit for), the stand out to me was this song. When looking for the song so that you could hear it, I found a lot of people comparing it to a Nelly Furtado song called All Good Things, and I can definitely hear the similarities; although JLo’s song is much more polished and cleaner to the ears. Overall, this is a fun pop song, and makes me glad that I at least gave JLo’s new album a spin. Listen to (What Is) Love? here.

I was kind of all over the place this week; but what did you think of my picks? Let me know what you are listening to as well, won’t you?

concerts, flickr, music musings, music suggestion

William Fitzsimmons @ Smith’s Olde Bar, April 14, 2011

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After being a fan for several years now, I finally got to see the amazing William Fitzsimmons this week at the intimate upstairs venue in Smith’s Olde Bar, here in Atlanta. I was pleased upon arriving to the show to find that Smith’s is now smoke free, which I have to say, made for an even better night. Immediately upon walking in to Smith’s, it was neat to see William casually having dinner in the bar; they are just like real people, aren’t they?

The show started with Slow Runner, a band I had never heard of previously, but a band that I am infinitely more interested in after seeing live. They were adorable all around (especially the bass player; what a hottie), and their sound reminded me a lot of the Postal Service. They were excellent live, and it is always great to discover a new band.

The show was somewhat of an intimate affair; I have never been to a concert where most of the people actually sat on the floor rather than standing. This started with Slow Runner, and continued on when William took the stage, and it was actually very pleasant, and made the concert even more intimate and enjoyable. One thing that was pretty annoying, was something that I notice at a lot of concerts (especially with acoustic artists); the audience was talking so much that you could hear them almost more than the band playing. Well, that stopped when William got on stage, and after he sang a few songs. He told the audience that there was a “nice bar downstairs if they wanted to have a conversation, but this was a folk show, and if you wanted to stay, then you needed to respect those that come to see that show, and well, shut the fuck up”. Um, that was fucking awesome that he did that; and the audience responded by shutting up for the most part. I love when an artist takes the time to acknowledge those that are there to enjoy them, and demands the respect they so rightfully deserve from that audience, without being a diva about it. William wanted us to enjoy his show, and it was great to have him request that the audience respect everyone that was there to hear him; and not their conversation instead.

What followed was an exquisite, beautiful musical experience. In case you didn’t know, William’s musical style is an incredibly soft, almost whisper-driven type of folk, and his tender voice, aching lyrics, and self-proclaimed “depressed songs” softly echoed with an fragility that was palpable in the bar that night. He could not have performed more beautifully, and his talent was clear from the moment he took the stage; his vocal talent and musical ability are nothing less than studio quality live. It looked effortless to watch him, as he stood there and serenaded the audience with his delicate songs.

Between songs, he quipped about his somber tone, and how he was half-heartedly sorry to bring down the mood for the night; not that any of us really minded, after all, that’s why we were there. I was surprised by how funny he was, and that beneath that delicate voice was such a jokester. Much was said about his epic beard, and he had several funny stories about people getting caught in it as they posed with him for pictures.

Overall, it was an excellent concert, and I was honestly sad when it was over (which is a rarity for me at concerts, I usually cannot wait to get the fuck out of the venue; I have an amazing track record of finding the worst part of the audience to stand near at any show). I can definitely say, it was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to; both the music and the experience were top notch. Afterwards, we stuck around and got to meet William after the show. He was super nice, and seemed genuinely happy that we enjoyed the show and his music. I thanked him for coming to Atlanta, and told him I couldn’t wait for him to return; after such an amazing show, I can’t wait to see this guy live again.

So far, 2011 has been a great year for William Fitzsimmons in my book; a fantastic new album release, Gold In The Shadow (already one of my favorites of 2011 so far), and a truly amazing concert experience. Who could ask for more? Not this guy.

(Pictures here. Sorry, you can only see them if we are friends, because pervs and jerks ruined flickr for me.)