Yesterday, I was thinking about what I was going to post today, and I had a little difficulty coming up with the five songs that I wanted to share. I decided to ask my fellow twitterati what they thought I should post, and I got several excellent suggestions; three of which I am actually going to feature today! Let’s get started! (Note: I think every song has a bad word or two in it, so don’t blast these at work unless you don’t care; just wanted to give the heads up)
The Swell Season – In These Arms
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_theswellseason-inthesearms.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend John, who caused immense excitement for me yesterday, when he messaged me that The Swell Season’s new single is already out (a fact that I was unaware of). John and I watched Once together a couple of years ago after the Oscars, and both of us agreed at that time that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (together, outside of the context of the movie, they go by The Swell Season) are downright brilliant actors and musicians. As for the new single, after 10 seconds of the 30 second preview, I knew that I was going to love this song, and it has not let me down. If this amazing first single is any indication of what we can expect from Oscar winning duo Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (they won an Oscar for the song, Falling Slowly from Once), their new album will definitely be amongst my favorite albums of 2009. I’m glad that there is more coming from this incredibly talented music duo in the very near future, and a big thanks to John for bringing the fact that this song was already out, to my attention.
Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Revenge (feat. Wayne Coyne)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_dangermouse-revenge.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend Brian. This track comes from an audio/visual collaborative project, helmed by Danger Mouse, called Dark Night Of The Soul. I love the John Lennon-esque vibe of the track, and the way it pays heavy tribute to Pink Floyd with the arrangement. The artistry of this song is beautiful, and it only adds to Danger Mouse’s incredible production range; his work spans from trend setting hip-hop teetering on the alternative, all of the way out to rock and roll. It seems whatever he’s up to, it’s something that is going to be at a minimum, innovative and interesting. A big thanks goes to Brian for pointing out this excellent suggestion!
Mew – Beach
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_mew-beach.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend Cody. The first time I heard this song, I found it to lean towards being a bit bouncy and unmanageable, but the more I listen to it, the more I hear the brilliance in it. The song is fantastic, and like a bucking bronco, refuses to stay still and let you reign it in. I love the backing synth, that reminds me of the ethereal quality of m83, and especially love the way they paired it with the sweet and tender vocals; together, they round out the package quite nicely, making for an amazing pop-rock track. I love arrangement, which sounds like it would be the perfect soundtrack for driving country roads with the top down. A big thanks goes to Cody for the amazing suggestion!!
Esmee Denters – Outta Here
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_esmeedenters-outtahere.mp3]
There is a lot of good music that comes out of the UK, and it never ceases to amaze me how much of it is completely overlooked by people in this country. This song was in the top ten on iTunes UK, and I had never even heard it before I stumbled onto it last night. After one listen, I sat there wishing it was songs like this that were dominating our radio airwaves, instead of songs from other tweens like Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. This song has a banging beat, and a lot of energy. Esmee’s vocals are powerful, and a welcome addition to the “tween scene”; that is, if she can actually successfully cross the pond. The way I look at it, for each annoying track from Taylor Swift, if we could get a fantastic one like this one, there would be balance in the world. Turns out Esmee was a youtube star that Justin Timberlake caught wind of, and got her a record deal; maybe that’s enough for her to make it here. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Alexisonfire – This Could Be Anywhere in The World
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_alexisonfire-thiscouldbeanywhere.mp3]
I will start by saying that I have never been a fan of post-hardcore shout rock, and I have never seen any value in it (I don’t get the screaming). However, as many of you know, one of my favorite singers of all time, Dallas Green, actually plays in a post-hardcore band, Alexisonfire. Since I love his side acoustic project, City and Colour, so much, curiosity eventually got the better of me, and I wanted to see if I could find any Alexisonfire that I would like as well (my philosophy was, more Dallas is a good thing). With the release of their new album, Old Crows/Young Cardinals, I ended up finding one track that I liked right off, but still stood firm in believing that I probably wouldn’t listen to them, as they “weren’t my cup of tea”. Well, apparently, that has changed. I ended up FINALLY giving the rest of the album a listen, and I actually REALLY liked what I heard. It was then when I went back to see if I would like some of their older stuff, and I found this song, which is perhaps my favorite Alexisonfire track of all. I love the energy, and the way that Dallas’ voice soars during the chorus. I may never give shout rock as much of a chance as I did with Alexisonfire, but I can definitely say that I am glad I was able to overcome my initial skepticism, and given them a chance.
Well there’s your five songs for this Friday. Let this be a lesson; suggestions are more than welcome and many times, they will find their way into a 5SF of the future! So, let me know what you think of this week’s selections, and tell me what you are listening to as well. Finally, I want to extend another thank you to my twitter friends for hooking me up with three of these five fine selections. Now… let’s go enjoy a 3 day weekend, shall we?!
