Life + James Vincent McMorrow

Before I get into the music, a couple of quick things.

1. I don't live in China anymore. That's weird. I'm on my way to London for a couple of weeks before moving to South Africa for at least the next 2 years. So I'm posting this from the Dubai airport. I may start doing more non-music posts once I'm in Africa. We'll see.

2. A friend gave me a great compliment the other day. He said my taste in music was esoteric. That made me very happy.

Ok, now for the music. I heard James Vincent McMorrow early this year and the first thing that came to mind was Bon Iver. I think there's a lot of similarities between the two, and not just musically. Apparently Mr. McMorrow took a page from Justin Vernon's book in writing his first album, Early in the Morning, by closing himself off in a house in the middle of nowhere to write it.

I wanted to put it in my top 10 this year because I remember reading that it was only released in Ireland (where he's from) in 2010, and given a wider release in 2011. Unfortunately I couldn't find that tidbit when I made my list, which may have been a blessing in disguise cause it was hard enough to get my list down to ten albums.

My favorite track from the album is We Don't Eat. Please enjoy:

I also love the first track on the album, If I Had A Boat. It's a great opener and I think you can definitely hear the similarties between James and Bon Iver here.

Top 10 Albums of 2011

It's that time of the year, when everyone does their obligatory lists of the best (insert category here) of the year. Actually, TIME magazine really outdid themselves this time and put out 54 lists. Quite impressive and fun to look through, but I have no idea how they did it, because my top 10 list of the best albums was a nightmare to figure out.

This was a pretty good year for music, if I do say so myself. There was a lot of good stuff out there, and here are my favorites. I couldn't bring myself to rank them, so they're not in any particular order.

• Bon Iver - Bon Iver

I know not everyone agrees with me, but I think the sophomore album from Bon Iver is even better than their first album, which is a hard feat to accomplish. I think it shows a lot of growth from them musically, and even the tracks that shouldn't be that good are still great.

        
Favorite tracks: Perth, Holocene, Michicant, Calgary

• Wild Beasts - Smother

Another band who gets better with every album. Absolutely love this one. It was one of those albums that grew on me the more I listened to it.

Favorite tracks: Loop the Loop, Invisible, Reach a Bit Further, Burning

• Little Dragon - Ritual Union

Little Dragon outdid themselves this year with Ritual Union. I feel like a lot of artists fall into this pattern where they make a good first album, a disappointing second album, then an amazing third album. That's just what Little Dragon has done. It's no wonder this album is in like every single top 10 I've seen so far.

Favorite tracks: Brush the Heat, Shuffle a Dream, Please Turn, Crystalfilm

 

• Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials

This was one of my most anticipated albums this year. Lungs was my 2nd favorite album in 2009 and I've been waiting very impatiently for Florence to put out a new album. Thank God she finally did, and it doesn't disappoint at all. Also an album that I like the more I listen, even though I loved it the first time around. I think this woman and her band are exactly what popular music needs right now.

Favorite tracks: Only If For A Night, Heartlines, Strangeness and Charm

• tUnE-yArDs - whokill

I've blogged about Tune-Yards before, but Merrill Garbus is a freaking genius. This album brought a much more polished sound to her debut from a couple years back, and it includes my favorite track by her. She's extremely unique and has an unbelievable voice. She also wins the award for best concert I went to this year, and one of the best I've ever been to.

Favorite tracks: Bizness, Gangsta

• James Blake - James Blake

I really like this guy. I can't seem to find anyone else who does for me musically what he does. Great debut album.
Favorite tracks: Wilhelm's Scream, I Never Learnt to Share, I Mind

• Warpaint - The Fool

I love the sound these ladies make. Very sexy and dark. And they're from LA, so what's not to love? I've already blogged them, so not too much to say, but listen to their album!
Favorite tracks: Undertow, Composure

• Feist - Metals

Feist is back with another amazing album. I think this may be her most accesible album to date, and to me it's got a much darker sound than her previous work.

Favorite tracks: The Bad In Each Other, A Commotion, Comfort Me

• Meshell Ndegeocello - Weather

This woman is one of music's best kept secrets. A Jill of all trades, she can pretty much do anything. I'll definitely be blogging about her again later on, so I won't say too much, but any album by her is worth listening to.

Favorite tracks: Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear, Chance, Dirty World

• My Brightest Diamond - All Things Will Unwind

I already blogged about My Brightest Diamond so I don't have too much to say, except that this album is a beautiful, stripped down reflection of the type of work she's always done. And I'm very much looking forward to the remixes.

Favorite tracks: Reaching Through to the Other Side, Escape Routes, Everything Is In Line

Memory Tapes - Bicycle

I've been listening to Bicycle by Memory Tapes non-stop since I got it last week. It's ridiculously good, especially at the end. It's off his 2009 album, Seek Magic, which I think is much better than the album he put out this year. But if I'm being honest, this song is far better than anything else he's made. Still worth checking out, but mostly just listen to this song.

Spanish Joint

Spanish Joint by D'Angelo: my favorite track off his album Voodoo. One of the best songs ever, off one of my favorite albums ever. There's not much I can say about this song, but we are long overdue new music from this guy.

Other Lives

One of my favorite new bands in 2009 was Other Lives, with their eponymous, debut album making it into my top 10 for the year. These guys come from Oklahoma, which I imagine to be cold and lonely, due not in small part to the sound that these guys have created, which is pretty cold and lonely. It's good for Beijing winters, and apparently good enough for Bon Iver, who they toured with.

Unfortunately I couldn't find you a video of my favorite track from their first album, How Could This Be?, but fortunately they released a new album earlier this year, so here's Tamer Animals, the title track and one of my favorites from the new album.

Though I loved their music when I heard their first album, it wasn't until I saw this next video that I really fell in love with the band. They did an amazing, acoustic living room performance of one of their best tracks, E Minor, and I think the live version is possibly better than the recording, which is always a very important trait I look for in a band. I have yet to see them live, as I moved out of the US right after finding out about them, but based just on this video I would not want you to miss them if you had the chance.

Warpaint

It's 6:30 am on a Saturday and I'm awake thanks to jetlag, so what better to do than share some good music?

One of my favorite albums from the first half of the year was The Fool, the full length debut from Warpaint, a Los Angeles based experimental rock group. They make great, chilled-out rock, and have apparently had actress Shannyn Sossamon and current Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Klinghoffer in previous lineups.

Here are my two favorite tracks, Composure and Undertow.

Undertow is their first single, and I think one of their best tracks. Especially once it picks up about half way through.

Active Child

I've been hearing Active Child here and there for the last few months, and for a while was only able to find an EP from last year. That was because he didn't release his debut full-length album, You Are All I See, until last week. It was worth the wait though. The first two tracks are gorgeous, they remind me of a mix between Bon Iver and Sigur Ros, which is a good thing. The rest of the album is great, as well, but nothin can beat those first two tracks. And just like Beth/Rest, the last track on Bon Iver's second album, a lot of his music seems like it should be so wrong, but in reality it's just so right.

So without further ado, here is some delicious new music for your earholes. First is the opening/title track of the album.

I couldn't decide which of my two favorite songs off Active Child's debut album I liked more, so here's Hanging On, my other favorite, and I believe also his most popular song.

My Happy Song

I know it's old, but this is my happy song. Especially when I buy star maps and drive around Los Angeles. Or when I'm not there and I just want to.

My Brightest Diamond - All Things Will Unwind

All Things Will Unwind has been one of my most anticipated albums this year, and it's finally been released this month. This is the 3rd studio album from My Brightest Diamond, one of my favorite artists for a couple of years now. My Brightest Diamond is the stage name of Shara Worden, a trained opera singer who paid her dues as an Illinoisemaker, touring with Sufjan Stevens before she began releasing her own solo work (much the same as St. Vincent, who also released her 3rd album this year).

I've been waiting pretty much since 2008 when her last album came out for her to release anything new, and this album has lived up to my expectations. She's always mixed an orchestra into her relaxed, rock sound, but this third album is stripped down even more, focusing on mostly the orchestral side. It's a beautiful derivative of what she's done before and still lends itself wonderfully to her ethereal vocals. My favorite track from the album, Reaching Through to the Other Side, maintains a bit more of her older sound than most tracks on the album.



I'll definitely keep enjoying this album for a while, but at the same time I'll be very much looking forward to the remix albums she always releases after her studio albums. Her voice lends itself so well to such a range of styles, which is one of the things I love about her. For example, one of my favorite remixes of her work:

I think it's an amazing remix of one of her most haunting songs, and it's so different from the original version of To Pluto's Moon, but still fits her so well, which I guess is one of the things I love about her.

So to sum up, you really should be listening to My Brightest Diamond. Her new album is great and it just makes it more difficult for me to pick my favorite album by her, an argument I constantly have with myself and have still not resolved. And if you're not yet sold on her, you should watch this:

Halloween Inspiration

For the last 2 years I've had this great idea for a Halloween costume. This is big, because I'm terrible at thinking up costumes. But 2 years ago I was inspired. Sadly, I haven't been able to celebrate Halloween for the last 2 years. The first year because I'd just moved to some tiny town in the middle of nowhere in China and didn't know anybody, so I sat around eating candy and watching scary movies. The next year, I was living back in Beijing, but I had to go back to my tiny town in the middle of nowhere for my company's 30th anniversary. This was actually pretty exciting because it turned out to be a huge extravaganza concert full of celebrities like the ones you see on CCTV all the time. Here's an example:

I even got to go on stage at one point and pretend to be Brazilian and receive an award since our customer from Brazil couldn't make it. So I guess I did technically dress up that year and go to a party. But I don't count it.

So this year, I'm back in the US for Halloween and finally able to celebrate. As I mentioned I got my inspiration 2 years ago and was so excited about it I decided to tell friends. The first year, a couple of my friends in Japan stole the idea. Then last year, my roommate stole the idea. Finally this year I can do it. You can thank Friendly Fires and their Skeleton Boy video for the inspiration. Watch the 2nd verse for the costume.

This is actually a great band with some awesome songs. Their 2nd album, Pala, came out this year, and while I think it's better overall than their eponymous first album, there are more stand-out tracks (like this one) on the first album. Also recommended are Paris and Jump in the Pool from the first album and Blue Cassette from their second.

Swedish Girl Power

I'm not sure how I managed to go 10 days without posting something. I haven't been doing anything. I'm unemployed. In fact, during that time, I've been listening to a shitload of new music. Unacceptable.

On a more acceptable note, I'm in America! Yay! Which means youtube isn't blocked and videos load quickly. So I have no excuse not to give you good music. We'll start with this gem:

I do love me some Swedish music, and lately, I love me these ladies. The all-girl band Those Dancing Days released their second album earlier this year, and Keep Me In Your Pocket is probably my favorite track off of it. Though I do also highly recommend Help Me Close My Eyes and I Know Where You Live Part 2. Not sure if mentioned this earlier, but I rate every track I listen to on my iPod. Those are the 3 5-star tracks on the album, but everything else gets 4 stars, so really, you should listen to the whole album. FYI, it's called Daydreams & Nightmares.

Other Swedes I like include: Jose Gonzalez, Robyn, Little Dragon, Fever Ray, The Knife, Maia Hirasawa, Lykke Li, The Tallest Man on Earth, and my friend Carl. That last one's not a band, it's just a friend of mine named Carl who's Swedish, but I like him.

ROSTAM - Wood

My friend Jen sent me this song on facebook the other day. It took me a few days to get to it, and forever to load cause of the Chinese government, but it was worth it. Maybe it just fit my mood today, but I fell in love with it. It starts out great and gets even better when the vocals come in.

FYI, he's the pianist for Vampire Weekend, and apparently has a side project with the singer from Ra Ra Riot called Discovery. Anyway, enjoy!

tUnE-yArDs

I was talking to the infamous ベス the other day as she's planning a trip to LA, which just so happens to be my home(-ish). She's headed out there at the end of the month, and I am of course very sad that I won't be there to see her. However, in the spirit of helping her enjoy her time to the fullest while in the City of Angels, we were discussing shows and venues for her to see shows while she's there. I did a little snooping around the internet and was actually a bit disappointed with the poor show of acts in town while she's there. There's a shitload of great stuff the week before and after she's around, but I was having trouble finding anything really good to recommend. Just as I was ready to give up on my search, though, I came across gold. And gold is as follows:



I started listening to tUnE-yArDs when her first album came out a couple years ago, and at first I thought she was pretty weird. I kept listening, though, because her voice is so powerful and moving that I thought she deserved to be heard. And it all worked out, because the more I listened, the more I came to love her. She released her sophomore album earlier this year, and the first single off of it is Bizness, which is above. I think this is possibly her best song to date, but there are a lot of great tracks on both of her albums.

Just for fun, here's Fiya, one of my favorites off the first album.



I've never seen her, or heard her, live, but I imagine she's just as raw and powerful, and this is something I wouldn't want to miss. So if you happen to be in the Greater Los Angeles area on November 1st or 2nd, go see her. She's playing at UCLA (I'm guessing Royce Hall) on the 1st, and at the Music Box in Hollywood on the 2nd. And I imagine ベス will be there, and she's awesome, so you'll also get to hang out with her which is an added bonus.

I really hope you already knew about this

Just a disclaimer, I'm a bit drunk while I write this. But I guess that's what happens when you go over to a Chinese family's house for dinner and they pull out the baijiu before you even start eating. If you don't know what baijiu is, don't ask. Consider yourself lucky. And hope you never find out. Unless you come visit me. Then you should just trust me.

OK! Time for music. That's what we're all here for anyway, right?

I listened to the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album this week. It's called I'm With You. I am a fan of theirs, and I highly doubt that I'm the first person you're hearing about them from. And if I am, what is wrong with you? The album is actually really good. I really enjoyed it. One song in particular sticks out to me, and that's Brendan's Death Song. When I first heard this song, I got through the first couple bars and decided to listen to something else. But then once I sat down and made my way through the whole song, I was sad I hadn't listened to it earlier. Not only is it a beautiful song, but it kind of encompasses how I feel about death, and was especially poignant since my grandmother just passed away. It's the type of song I'd want played at my funeral, and embodies the way I want to be remembered when I'm gone. It's beautiful. So enjoy it.

Little Dragon - Ritual Union

So I was back in the states recently and made it out to New York during my trip. I was walking home one night with my friend Adam who I'd just had dinner with. As we passed by a restaurant on our walk, I heard a familiar sound and when I paid a little bit of attention, I realized it was Constant Surprises, a song which happens to be my favorite song by the band Little Dragon. If you don't want to take my word on how good it is (you shouldn't) listen to it now.



I told you, didn't I? So I love this band, and hearing this song made me realize that it had been a while since I heard anything from them. Their second album came out a couple years back, and despite how much I loved their first album, I found their second album disappointing. So, I went online to see what they were working on, only to find that I was already like 3 months late on getting their latest album, Ritual Union. I wasted no time in obtaining this album, and I was not at all disappointed. In fact, I think it's probably their best album yet. This entire album is really freaking ridiculously good. I've been listening to it on repeat since the first time I listened to it, standing in line at the airport and dancing to myself.

The Swedish-born Japanese vocalist Yukimi brings so much soul to this album through her voice. It's no wonder Jose Gonzalez chose her as his back-up vocalist and his girlfriend. My favorite track from the album, Please Turn, comes right in the middle of a string of solid tracks (Brush the Heat, Shuffle a Dream, Cristalfilm) which I listen to on repeat still. Also, if I were a stripper, I think this is the song I would dance to.

This is a test.

This is a test to see if I can embed a video. But it's a good video you don't want to miss cause Alex Winston was love at first listen. I've got a special place in my heart for quirky girls with weird voices, and Alex officially replaced Joanna Newsom when I heard her. Though to be honest, Joanna will probably make a comeback at a later date. And she'll never really be completely replaced anyway.

So now comes the testy part. If this works, you should be able to see Velvet Elvis below, which is Alex's new and awesome single.



And below this, you should be able to find a remix of Locomotive done by Beach Fossils, who I think are just alright in general but have done an awesome job here.



Props to my friend James for teaching me how to do these videos.

Let's see how this works...

The other day I was talking to my friend ベス and she recommended to me that I start a music blog. Now, this is something I've actually considered doing in the past, as I love music and I love sharing music. The problem is, I don't have much to say about the music I love other than that I love it. So I figured I'd probably have nothing to write. Despite this, ベス convinced me otherwise. She also named my blog. Props to ベス.

I'll mainly be using this blog to recommend music I like, not really do any reviews, so you can expect to see phrases like "awesome," "mind-blowing" and "ridiculously good" a lot. I also travel a lot, so I may mix in some fun stories or facts with the music. Or maybe other random thoughts. We’ll see.

So with that, let's do the first recommendation!

Theophilus London - Wine and Chocolates
The goal was to put the video in here from youtube, but it seems to keep freezing and refuses to post when I tried, so instead, you just get this link: http://youtu.be/-U9KIjBuRBM

This song is ridiculously good (I told you it'd be coming). In fact, everything this guy does is ridiculously good (first post and it's already in there twice. Get used to it). He kind of reminds me of TV on the Radio, so if you like them, you'll probably like him. Except he raps.

He's straight out of Brooklyn, which obviously means he must be awesome. At least, that's where I'm told all the cool kids are these days. Everyone I know in Brooklyn is pretty awesome, but I don't think any of them are actually from Brooklyn, so I'm not sure it counts.

Anyway, he just released a new album (Timez Are Weird These Days), which is great. But even better is his EP from earlier this year (Lovers Holiday) which I'm pretty sure is gonna make it onto my Top 10 list for 2011. So don't stop with just this song, go find more.